In announcing the start of production of Primeval: New World, SPACE has also revealed the full array of talent involved in this new series. This companion series to the original Primeval is set and filmed in Vancouver and, as such, is making full use of the extraordinary actors, writers and directors that are native to the area. Eureka star Niall Matter and The Vampire Diaries‘ Sarah Canning are headlining the cast while Sanctuary‘s Martin Wood and Amanda Tapping will be directing. The full list is in the below press release. Primeval: New World will begin its 13-episode inaugural season later this year.
SPACE announced today that production is underway on the original mythological/action series Primeval: New World. Set in Vancouver against the backdrop of the Pacific Northwest, the 13-episode, one-hour series is produced in association with Omni Film Productions (Defying Gravity, Arctic Air). Also announced today is the stellar cast and crew for the new series, featuring top Canadian talent from hit SPACE programming such as Sanctuary, Stargate Universe, Eureka, Supernatural and Smallville.
A North American spin-off of the hit U.K. television series, Primeval: New World follows a specialized team of animal experts and scientists that investigates the appearance of temporal anomalies and battles both prehistoric and futuristic creatures. The cast features a bevy of established genre heavyweights such as Niall Matter (Eureka, 90210, Melrose Place) as the enterprising inventor and visionary hero Evan Cross, and Sara Canning (Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries, Smallville) as Dylan Weir, predator attack expert and specialist in animal behavior. Primeval: New World will also star Miranda Frigon (Heartland) as Ange Finch, Geoff Gustafson (Hot Tub Time Machine) as Ken Leeds and Danny Rahim (Eastenders) as Mac Rendell and guest starring Andrew-Lee Potts (Primeval) as Connor from the original series. Sci-Fi queen Amanda Tapping (Sanctuary), Andy Mikita (Stargate Universe), Martin Wood (Sanctuary) and Mike Rohl (Smallville) are all set to direct.
“SPACE is delighted to begin production on an exceptional homegrown series that is a counterpart to one of our channel’s most successful shows,” said Corrie Coe, Senior Vice-President, Independent Production, Bell Media. “We are thrilled to work with Omni Film and, with the support of Impossible Pictures, we know it will both capture the essence of the original U.K. series and bring a unique sensibility to the screen. Both existing fans of the Primeval brand and the SPACE audience alike are sure to be excited by the imminent crossover from the original series into the New World.”
“This is the dream team for a series such as Primeval: New World,” said Gabriela Schonbach, EP and Partner, Omni Film Productions. “Vancouver is the creative hub of visual effects for television, and we are the beneficiaries of a huge pool of talent in every area of TV production. This will be a terrific expansion to the Primeval world.”
“Omni Film have done a phenomenal job in bringing this series to life and we’re thrilled that they’re producing the spin-off. The stories are fantastic and Atmosphere’s work on the CGI is going to astound audiences around the globe,” said Katie Newman, Executive Producer for Impossible Pictures.
Based on the original series from Impossible Pictures, Primeval: New World‘s creative team is led by Executive Producers Martin Wood and Gillian Horvath (Sanctuary, Highlander). The spin-off was created by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens (Star Trek: Enterprise, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World) and will be written by Gillian Horvath, Peter Hume (Charmed, Flash Gordon), Jon Cooksey (The Collector, The Outer Limits), Sarah Dodd (Flashpoint, Arctic Air), Katherine Collins (Endgame), and Judith and Garfield Reeve-Stevens. The creatures will be created by three time Emmy Award-nominated visual effects company Atmosphere (Stargate, Smallville, Psych). Leading international entertainment company, Entertainment One, holds the international distribution rights. Rebecca DiPasqualeis Production Executive for Bell Media. Corrie Coe is Senior Vice-President, Independent Production, Bell Media. Catherine McLeod is Vice-President, Specialty Channels, Bell Media. Sally Basmajian is Vice President & General Manager, Comedy and Drama, Bell Media. Phil King is President, CTV Programming and Sports.
Primeval: New World is produced by Omni Film Productions. The series is produced and developed in association with Bell Media, German free-to-air broadcaster ProSieben, and UKTV channel Watch, with the participation of the Canadian Media Fund, The Province of British Columbia Film Incentive BC, The Canadian Film & Video Production Tax Credit Program, and British Columbia Film.