ION TELEVISION TO LAUNCH THE U.S. TELEVISION PREMIERE OF ARCHANGEL ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST
Daniel Craig Stars in Mystery-Thriller Set in Contemporary Russia
(West Palm Beach, Fla. and New York, N.Y. � October, 7 2008) � ION Television, the "Positively Entertaining" general entertainment network available to over 94 million homes, and RHI Entertainment, the leader in the production and distribution of groundbreaking movies, miniseries and series for television, proudly announce the U.S. television premiere of Archangel, debuting Saturday, November 1st at 8:00 p.m. ET. The three-hour mystery-thriller stars Daniel Craig, best known for his title role as the fictional secret agent James Bond in Casino Royale and in the soon-to-be-released 22nd Bond movie Quantum of Solace. Fans of the actor will be treated to an early glimpse at "the-actor-who-would-be-Bond" in this British import, which was adapted from author Robert Harris' novel of the same name. Mr. Craig's credits also include Steven Spielberg's Munich (2005) and British film Enduring Love (2004). Archangel also stars Gabriel Macht (Because I Said So, The Good Shepherd) and Harry Ditson (De-Lovely, The Tailor of Panama). The project, which was filmed on location in Russia and Latvia, also features an all-star Russian cast.
Set in contemporary Moscow and the frozen northern town of Archangel, the movie revisits the stark landscape of Communist Russia and takes place over four days in the life of a dissipated former Oxford historian Fluke Kelso (Daniel Craig). His fateful meeting with a former Stalinist bodyguard leads to the uncovering of one of the worlds most dangerous and best kept secrets. He is led unwittingly through murder and intrigue across night-time Moscow and up to northern Russia toward his own personal "Holy Grail" - Joseph Stalin's secret legacy - a legacy that could change the face of Russian history forever. Will Kelso unravel the final secret of Josef Stalin or will he meet his own untimely end?
"Archangel is a prime example of the �Positively Entertaining' programming we are dedicated to providing to our growing audience," said Brandon Burgess, Chairman and CEO of ION Media Networks. "We believe our strong lineup of off-net series, like Boston Legal and NCIS, combined with a quality slate of theatrical films and made-for-television movies, will continue to attract viewers looking for the broad-based entertaining programming only found on ION Television."
"Archangel is the kind of quality, sweeping thriller that audiences have come to expect from RHI," said Robert Halmi Jr., President and CEO of RHI Entertainment. "It will keep audiences on the edge of their seats and make them rethink everything they assumed they knew about an important chapter in recent history."
Archangel is a Power/BBC co-production. The screenplay, by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, is adapted from a novel of the same title by Robert Harris. The movie was produced by Christopher Hall and directed by Jon Jones. Jessica Pope and Laura Mackie serve as executive producers, while Justin Bodle claims the executive producer representative role for Power. RHI Entertainment has U.S. distribution rights for the movie.
About ION Television
ION Television (www.iontelevision.com) is a general entertainment network which reaches over 94 million U.S. television households via its nationwide broadcast television, cable and satellite distribution systems. Launched in 2006, ION Television features popular TV series and movies from the award-winning libraries of RHI Entertainment, CBS Television, NBC Universal, Sony Pictures Television, Twentieth Television and Warner Bros. Parent company, ION Media Networks, Inc., owns and operates the nation's largest broadcast television station group. Using its digital multicasting capability, ION Media Networks has launched the digital TV brands qubo, a channel for children focusing on literacy and values, and ION Life, a channel dedicated to active living and personal growth. It also has launched Open Mobile Ventures Corporation (OMVION), a business unit focused on the research and development of portable, mobile and out-of-home transmission technology using over-the-air digital television spectrum. For more information, visit www.ionmedia.com.
About RHI Entertainment
RHI Entertainment (NASDAQ: RHIE) develops, produces and distributes new made-for-television movies, miniseries and other television programming worldwide, and is the leading provider of new long-form television content in the United States. Under the leadership of Robert Halmi, Sr. and Robert Halmi, Jr., RHI has produced and distributed thousands of hours of quality television programming, and RHI's productions have received more than 100 Emmy Awards. During 2007, RHI developed, produced and distributed 43 new television movies and miniseries to broadcast and cable networks around the world. In addition to the development, production and distribution of new content, RHI owns rights to approximately 1,000 titles, or over 3,500 broadcast hours of long-form television programming, which are licensed to broadcast and cable networks and new media outlets globally.
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