New Zealand actors Jay Laga'aia and Craig Parker are playing key roles in a new American swords and scorcery television series being filmed around Auckland.

Filming of Wizard's First Rule, the first book in Terry Goodkind's popular The Sword of Truth books began this week. But the 22-episode series has been renamed Legend of the Seeker - apparently to avoid religious concerns among American audiences about scorcery. Executive producers Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert told a comics and fantasy convention of the name change, and announced the New Zealand actors, Entertainment Weekly reported.

The syndicated series from Disney-ABC Domestic Television and ABC Studios, will premiere in the United States on the weekend of November 1. The series marks ABC Studios' first foray into broadcast syndication, and has already been sold into stations covering 95 percent of the American market, according to TV Week.com. Each one hour episode will have a New Zealand director and the series will be shot in the Auckland region over 36 months.

One of the episodes will be directed by New Zealand actor Michael Hurst who starred in the original Hercules TV series. The series is based around a backwoods guide, Richard - played by Australian actor Craig Horner - in Westland, the only part of the world which contains no magic. While investigating the mysterious murder of his father he rescues a woman, Kahlan Amnell, (played by American actress Bridget Regan) who has crossed over from the "magic" side of the world, and does battle with an evil dictator.

Raimi said Australian actor Bruce Spence will play Richard's best friend Zedd, Jay Laga'aia will play a boundary warden Chase, and Craig Parker will play the series' villain, Darken Rahl. Parker spent four years on Shortland Street after being cast as Guy Warner in 1992, and won international attention after being cast as Haldir, one of Lothlorien's elves in the first two parts of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Laga'aia played David Silesi in four series of the television drama Street Legal and Captain Typho, in two Star Wars films, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. Tapert, who filmed Hercules and Xena, Warrior Princess in New Zealand and married his star, Lucy Lawless, in 1998 showed people at the convention a clip from the show's filming around Auckland. Source

 

TV Squad First Report from Comic Con

Well, the big news to come out of the Wizard's First Rule panel was that the series is not going to be called Wizard's First Rule. The new title is Legend of the Seeker. Why? Well, according to panelists and author Terry Goodkind the name change was made to focus on the hero of the book itself rather than the main book of the series.

A few other tidbits from the panel and press event can be found after the jump.

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Highly-Anticipated, New Epic Fantasy Series to Launch as "Legend of the Seeker" (Series Formerly Known As "Wizard's First Rule")

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS ALSO ANNOUNCE ADDITIONAL CASTING AT COMIC CON Nationally Syndicated Series From Disney-ABC Domestic Television and ABC Studios Set to Premiere Nationwide the Weekend of November 1st

Last update: 7:05 p.m. EDT July 24, 2008
SAN DIEGO, July 24, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The highly-anticipated epic fantasy series, previously known as (working title) "Wizard's First Rule," will officially launch as "Legend of the Seeker," it was announced today at the 2008 Comic Con International Convention during a panel led by series executive producers Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert. "Legend of the Seeker" combines elements of fantasy, adventure, magic, mystery and romance, shot with the enchanting and exotic New Zealand landscape as its backdrop.

In addition, the executive producers also announced that Bruce Spence, Jay Laga'aia and Craig Parker will join previously announced lead actors Craig Horner (Richard Cypher) and Bridget Regan (Kahlan) in the first-run, scripted weekly series. Bruce Spence ("Mad Max 2" and "The Matrix Revolutions") portrays Zedd, a wise and powerful old wizard who accompanies Richard and Kahlan on their epic journey; Jay Laga'aia ("Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones" and "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith") stars as Chase, a loyal and fearsome member of the Councilor's Guard; and Craig Parker ("The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers") plays Darken Rahl, a charismatic bloodthirsty tyrant that Richard must prevent from unleashing an ancient evil that will enslave the world.

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Many thanks to LB for the news

Tentatively scheduled for Thursday...

3:00-4:00 Wizard’s First Rule—Sam Raimi (Spider-Man) and Ken Biller (Star Trek: Voyager) give you a first look at the upcoming television series Wizard’s First Rule. The one-hour weekly series, premiering in late fall, is based on Terry Goodkind’s bestselling epic fantasy series The Sword of Truth, which follows the extraordinary transformation of woodsman Richard Cypher into a magical leader who joins with a mysterious, beautiful woman to stop a bloodthirsty, sinister tyrant. Join Sam and Ken for a moderated interview and audience Q&A session!

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