SCI FI CHANNEL has acquired US rights to the acclaimed science fiction series Charlie Jade. This is one of the few South African developed and produced series to sell to a major US network.
The series was created by Chris Roland (Stander, Man to Man, Tunnel Rats) and Robert Wertheimer (Bollywood/Hollywood, Due South, Robocop: The Series) and written by Guy Mullally (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World, Little Men), David Cole (Cold Squad, Due South) and Stephen Zoller (Super Rupert, Anne of Green Gables, The Windsor Protocol). Executive Producers are Chris Roland and Robert Wertheimer, Izidore Codron (Hotel Rwanda, Story of an African Farm, Stander), Robin Spry (Big Wolf on Campus, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World, Hiroshima), and Jacques Pettigrew (Heavy Metal: P3K, Pinocchio 3000, Galidor)
A cross section of directors from both South Africa and Canada provide the series’ highly cinematic signature style. Directors include T.J. Scott (Hercules: the Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess, La Femme Nikita, Legacy) Darrel James Roodt (City of Blood, Fatherhood, Infinite Darkness, Sarafina!), Jimmy Kaufman (Big Wolf on Campus, Due South, Stargate SG-1, The Hunger), and Eric Canuel (Nez Rouge, Seriously Weird, Live Through This).
Among those who appear regularly in the series are Michelle Burgers (Jump The Gun, Sinbad), Danny Keogh (Citizen Verdict, Consequence, Sinbad), Marie-Julie Rivest (Savage Messiah), Michael Filipowich (Starhunter, PSI Factor, Earth: Final Conflict), Tyrone Benskin (Deacons for Defense,The Long Island Incident), and Patricia McKenzie (Stardom, No Alibi).
Post-production and state-of-the-art CGI was handled by CineGroupe in Montreal who over the last year have produced two series Galidor: Defenders of the Outer Dimension and Tripping The Rift for the US networks.
Shot entirely in and around Cape Town, Charlie Jade combines highly original storytelling with stunning computer graphics and special effects. The series has already played on television in France, Italy, UK, Japan, Korea, S.E Asia, Eastern Europe, Canada and South Africa.
Chris Roland of ZenHQ said ‘ I am thrilled that SCI FI has acquired CHARLIE JADE. We have had a steady stream of email and internet chatter from fans wanting to see the show in the US. They can now see what the rest of the world has been raving about’!
The deal was concluded by Thomas Vitale at Sci Fi Channel, Jim Howell at Park Entertainment and Seth Kittay at All Channel Films.
