Yes, it’s yet another big news day for the folks at IDT Entertainment as the company announces it film anthology series in conjunction with Industry Entertainment Productions. Under the Masters of Sci-Fi banner, the new one-hour anthology series will feature the works of such masters of the genre as H.G. Wells, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Harlan Ellison, Robert Heinlein and Stanislav Lem. IDT Entertainment and Industry’s first anthology series, Masters of Horror, is currently in production in Vancouver and is set to premiere on Showtime this fall.
"Our Masters franchise brings works of some of our greatest creative talents to worldwide audiences for the first time through first-class film productions," says John Hyde, COO of IDT Entertainment. "Science fiction is one of the most enduring and popular literary genres so we’re very excited to bring these great works to a huge fan base."
"We are excited to have legendary writers such as Ray Bradbury and Harlan Ellison adapting their own short stories for this project, " notes Brad Mendelsohn, Industry Entertainment’s partner. "We are concurrently completing deals for other distinguished writers to adapt these fascinating stories." Final conversations are underway for writer Michael Tolkin (The Rapture, The Player) to adapt and direct Heinlein’s Jerry Was a Man.
IDT Entertainment will fully finance the anthology, as it did for Masters of Horror. The first 13 episodes are expected to start production in Vancouver this coming March. Worldwide sales and home entertainment distribution will be handled through IDT Entertainment subsidiaries.
Among the series’ offerings are Dark They Were, And Golden-Eyed by Ray Bradbury, "Repent, Harlequin!" Said The Ticktockman by Harlan Ellison, The Hunt by Stanislav Lem and The Crystal Egg by H.G. Wells. Also on tap are The Last Question by Isaac Asimov and Jerry Was A Man by Robert Heinlein.
Industry Entertainment’s Keith Addis and Brad Mendelsohn are executive producers, while Industry’s Andrew Deane will serve as co-executive producer.
IDT Entertainment’s subsidiaries include animation studios Film Roman, Mainframe Entertainment, and DKP Studios; home entertainment companies Anchor Bay Entertainment and Manga Entertainment; distribution company IDT Entertainment Sales (IDTeS), and live action production company New Arc Entertainment.
