SCI FI CHANNEL AND RHI ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCE NEW AGREEMENT FOR FIVE ORIGINAL TELEVISION MOVIES
NEW YORK � October 9, 2008 - SCI FI Channel and RHI Entertainment have entered into a network license agreement for a slate of U.S. premiere television movies. The agreement was announced by Thomas Vitale, Senior Vice President, Programming and Original Movies, SCI FI Channel and Robert Halmi, Jr, President and CEO of RHI Entertainment.
"RHI understands our audience and knows how to deliver the kind of powerful, edge-of-your-seat entertainment our viewers crave," said Mr. Vitale. "These movies will be a great addition to our Most Dangerous Night of Television weekend franchise and we look forward to seeing them on our air."
"We are thrilled to be working with SCI FI Channel again," said Mr. Halmi, Jr. "The RHI SCI FI partnership has already turned out highly rated and acclaimed productions, including most recently, the Emmy Award winning Tin Man. We are confident that these chilling, action-packed films will continue the tradition of success this partnership has enjoyed to date."
The deal includes basic cable rights for five new horror and thriller projects. Two of the films have already wrapped production on location in Romania, including Hellhounds, directed by Ricky Schroder (Andromeda Strain, 24). Set in 500 B.C., Hellhounds stars Scott Elrod (Men in Trees) as a Greek warrior who fights against the demonic hellhounds of Hades in order to rescue his bride (Amanda Brooks, My Best Friend's Girl) and bring her back to life.
Rise of the Gargoyle has also just completed production. It stars Eric Balfour (24, Six Feet Under) as a struggling author in Paris who finds himself face to face with a horrific monster � a real live version of the stone gargoyles he's devoted his life to studying. Rise of the Gargoyle is directed by Bill Corcoran (Atomic Twister, Vipers).
Production on the following films, also to be shot on location in Romania, is set to begin shortly:
� Alien Western - Set in an old west town in the 1890's, monstrous buglike machines from another world attack anyone who gets in their way;
� Carney � Based on the Jersey Devil legend, a fiendish carnival sideshow attraction, half-animal and half-devil, escapes and terrorizes the denizens of a Depression-era Mid-Atlantic town;
� Sand Serpents - American combat soldiers in the Afghan desert must battle both the Taliban and a horde of giant carnivorous wormlike serpents awakened from under the earth.
The two-hour television movies are produced for RHI by Muse Entertainment Enterprises. Michael Prupas, President and CEO of Muse Entertainment, serves as executive producer, along with Robert Halmi, Sr. and Robert Halmi, Jr. of RHI Entertainment. RHI also will distribute these titles in key territories worldwide.
About SCI FI Channel
SCI FI Channel is a television network where "what if" is what's on. SCI FI fuels the imagination of viewers with original series and events, blockbuster movies and classic science fiction and fantasy programming, as well as a dynamic Web site (www.scifi.com <>) and magazine. Launched in 1992, and currently in 93 million homes, SCI FI Channel is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies.
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. For more consumer information visit www.rhitv.com.
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