Production wizards reunite

Vancouver: Lo, in the early days of Vancouver’s nascent film and television industry, the brash young Pacific Motion Pictures was the ‘It’ company of the moment and its principals, Tom Rowe and Matthew O’Connor likewise, prominent as producers with the Midas touch.

Over time PMP annulled a planned merger with Rainmaker before being enveloped by Sextant Entertainment, which has since failed in bankruptcy.

Reunion Pictures, which launched officially in June, reunites PMP alumni Rowe, O’Connor, Lisa Richardson (previously owner of Dogwood Pictures) and George Horie (who produced two seasons of Jeremiah).

Reunion, which took over Richardson’s now-defunct Dogwood office space in North Vancouver, is kicking off with the production of the 2 x 120 Hallmark Entertainment/Sci-Fi Channel miniseries Earthsea, adapted from award-winning novelist Ursula K. Le Guin’s acclaimed trilogy.

Vancouver actor Shawn Ashmore stars as the young wizard-in-training in the US$15-million production along with local starlet Kristin Kreuk as the priestess Tenar. Isabella Rossellini and Danny Glover costar.

Twelve weeks of production wrap Aug. 6. Earthsea will air on Sci-Fi in December.

Rowe says Reunion will be a mix of domestic and service film and television production.

‘We learned a lot,’ he says of the years between PMP and Reunion. ‘Like spend less than you make.’

He adds that the market is a lot different with the appetite for television movies, a PMP staple, out of favor currently. ‘We’ll be nimble and ready to take advantage of opportunities,’ Rowe says. Ian Edwards

It’s a wrap for Riverman

Halifax: A&E and Fox TV Studios were in Halifax this spring shooting The Riverman, an MOW that went to camera at the end of May and wrapped June 25.

Tom Towler and Peter Lance adapted the story from the best-selling book The Riverman: Ted Bundy and I Hunt for the Green River Killer by Robert D. Keppel and William J. Birnes. It is the story of how homicide detectives Keppel and Dave Reichert tracked the Green River Killer, one of the worst serial murderers in history, with the aid of serial killer Ted Bundy. After 20 years, the case was solved in November 2003 when Gary Ridgway confessed to more than 40 murders. It is said that this true story was the inspiration behind The Silence of the Lambs.

The cast includes Bruce Greenwood (Thirteen Days), Sam Jaeger (Behind Enemy Lines), Kathleen Quinlan (Apollo 13) and Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride), who plays Bundy. Elizabeth Guildford was the production coordinator in Halifax.

Producer David Craig and executive producer Delia Fine, both from A&E, worked with Fox executive producers David Madden and Lisa Demberg. Additional executive producers include Hawk Koch (Primal Fear) and Peter Lance (The Sentinel).

Transfer is being done at Eyes Post in Toronto, with editing to be completed in L.A. PS Production Services Atlantic is supplying equipment.

The Riverman is scheduled to premiere on A&E in September. Laura Bracken

Come again?

Vancouver: Romeo, the Nickelodeon series starring young rap star Romeo Miller and his dad Master P, began a second season of production in Vancouver June 14 (until Oct. 30).

Tru Calling, starring Eliza Dushku and Jason Priestley, begins a new run for Fox July 20 (until Dec. 20).

Meanwhile, Dead Like Me’s second season for MGM wraps July 29 after more than five months. And the eighth and final cycle of MGM’s Stargate SG-1 wraps six months of production Sept. 15.

Syndicated sci-fi series Andromeda began its fifth season May 25 (until Dec. 20). Ian Edwards