Calgary: Voice Pictures went to camera Aug. 9 on Migration and Wheel to the Stars, the first two of six MOWs coproduced with Turner Network Television and executive produced by Steven Spielberg, with DreamWorks distributing.

Voice’s Wendy Hill-Tout and Michelle Wong are coproducers and American Larry Rapaport is line producing. David Rosemont, Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey are co-executive producers.

The series is composed of six two-hour films, which give a different picture of the history of the American West than presented in traditional westerns by exploring the settlement of the West from the perspective of both whites and Native Americans.

‘These are really important stories and I think they will be seen in schools in the States for the next 50 years,’ says Hill-Tout.

Each MOW is being produced for about $8 million, with some funding from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts and provincial tax credits. Stars include Keri Russell (Felicity), Josh Brolin (Hollow Man) and Skeet Ulrich (Scream).

Migration is written by Cyrus Nowrasteh and Wheel to the Stars by William Mastrosimone.

American director Simon Wincer (Free Willy) is helming Migration. Robert Dornhelm (Identity Theft) will direct Wheel to the Stars. Principal photography takes place in and around Calgary, due to wrap Nov. 3.

Voice is also in prep on Karroll’s Christmas, a remake of the Scrooge story in which the Christmas ghosts end up visiting the wrong person. The Fox MOW, staring Tom Everett Scott (That Thing You Do!) is coproduced by Voice and 20th Century Fox, with Dennis Dugan (Happy Gilmore) directing, and should be completed in time for Christmas.

In addition, Voice is coproducing the family feature Blue Eden with Spice Factory of the U.K., Muse Entertainment in Montreal and Trilogy Entertainment, a Toronto-based company with offices in L.A. The $30-million film is to be directed by Pen Densham (Moll Flanders) and produced by John Watson and will be shot in Honduras this fall.

-www.voicepictures.com