from variety
****ban under 'Wizard' spell
'X-Files' vet to exec produce Raimi, Tapert film
By JOSEF ADALIAN
Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert have tapped "The X-Files" vet John ****ban to
exec produce their upcoming syndie skein "Wizard's First Rule."
****ban, who is with the CW's "Supernatural," will help translate Terry
Goodkind's series of books into a weekly TV series. Project is set in
a fantasy world of magic and wizards and focuses on the Seeker, a man
who is destined to save the world, but not before battling a whole
bunch of bad guys.
Scribe said he plans "to take a cue from 'The X-Files'" in setting up
the skein's structure.
"There's an overarching mythology to the series, but the job of Seeker
allows (the lead character) to fight evil in self-contained episodes,"
he said.
****ban, new to the syndie realm, said he's enjoying the genre's
advantages.
"We don't have to worry about network issues and what our competition
is," he said. And since the show is a firm go for 22 episodes, "It's
nice to know we can tell this whole first season of stories."
****ban said "Wizards" will strive for network quality effects and
production values. "We're going to make it look huge," he said.
After spending seven years on "X-Files," ****ban co-created spinoff
skein "Lone Gunmen" and worked on skeins such as "Star Trek:
Enterprise" and "Revelations."
"Wizards" has been cleared for broadcast in 84% of the country and all
of the nation's top 50 markets. Disney-ABC Domestic Television is
producing.
In addition to Raimi, Tapert and ****ban, Joshua Donen and Ned Nalle
are set as exec producers on the project, which begins lensing next
month for a fall bow.
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