New Journey to the Centre of the Earth

RHI Entertainment, makers of TV dramas such as Earthsea, Flash Gordon, Tin Man and Pandemic, have produced a new version of Jules Verne's Journey to the Centre of the Earth as a two-hour telefilm which Jeremy Briggs tells me has already broadcast on Sky here in the UK, but will premiere in the US during the RHI Movie Weekend on the ION Television Network in the US, on Sunday 27 January.

The new production stars Ricky Schroder (Crimson Tide, Lonesome Dove, NYPD Blue, 24) and Peter Fonda (Easy Rider, 3:10 to Yuma) as well as Victoria Pratt (Daybreak, Brotherhood of Blood), Steven Grayhm (Taken,) and Mike Dopud (Smallville, Stargate SG-1).

Set in the late 1800’s, Journey to the Centre of the Earth is the story of the noted anthropologist Jonathan Brock, who accepts a risky proposition to lead an expedition to find the missing Edward Dennison. Brock and his party re-trace Dennison’s last known tracks to a mysterious passage in Alaska (a change from the book's original point which was Iceland), rumoured to be the secret gateway to the center of the earth. As they descend deeper and deeper into the unknown, the group finds a vast world undergoing an evolutionary process unto itself, complete with prehistoric creatures, primitive tribes and amazing discoveries.

The production was shot on location in and around Vancouver on high definition video during the summer of 2007, and the area's spectacular scenery and dramatic weather are an integral part of the production.

“We have taken one of literature’s greatest adventures and turned it just enough to make it even more fresh and compelling for today’s audiences,” said Robert Halmi, Jr., President and CEO of RHI Entertainment. “This tale of action, fantasy and the unexpected will send viewers of all ages onto their own epic journey of exploration and discovery.”