Jonathan Frakes to Helm Sci-Fi Series ARTHUR C. CLARKE'S VENUS PRIME

Jonathan Frakes, best known for his iconic role in Star Trek, is set to direct the upcoming series Arthur C. Clarke’s Venus Prime. This announcement comes with the added news that Frakes will also join the production team, promising a blend of his unique vision and sci-fi legacy.

According to reporting by Variety, the series has elevated writers David Cormican, known for Tokyo Trial, and Dwayne Hill of Northern Rescue fame to executive producers and showrunners. The six-episode series is scheduled to begin production in Canada by the end of this year, setting the stage for what promises to be a captivating adaptation.

“When the materials for Arthur C. Clarke’s Venus Prime were presented to me, I couldn’t help but devour them,” Frakes said. “When asked if I wanted to direct what I read — my answer was a resounding and immediate ‘Hell, yes!’ Working on such a tremendous piece of IP from the mind of another sci-fi legend, who is also a contemporary of the true #1 Gene Roddenberry, will be both an honor and a dream for me.”

The rights to the book series were secured by Claxson and Navajo from iBooks, an imprint of J. Boylston & Company. Adding to the authenticity and depth of the series, Arthur C. Clarke’s collaborator Paul Preuss will serve as a consultant, ensuring that the adaptation remains true to its literary roots.

This production is a collaborative effort, with Navajo Entertainment partnering with Claxson, Washington Square Entertainment, Palatin Media, Julijette, Karma Film, Fun Republic Pictures, and virtual production studio/film financier Volume Global. The series is poised to harness the combined strengths of these entities to deliver a high-quality viewing experience.

Series producers include Cormican, Anand Ramayya, and Juliette Hagopian, while executive producers Christopher Rush Harrington and Michael Hamilton-Wright from Volume Global, Roberto Vivo from Claxson, and Bernd Schlötterer of Palatin Media, bring their extensive expertise to the project.

Executive producer Lucas Vivo Garcia Lagos expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “Bringing Arthur C. Clarke’s Venus Prime to audiences is a huge privilege and responsibility. These books, along with the incredible characters and storylines, have been with me since my adolescence; I have always believed this IP has all the necessary elements to become a major blockbuster. By uniting the collective talents of Preuss, Cormican, and Hill with Jonathan Frakes at the helm, we are confident we have assembled the perfect team to realize the cinematic vision we all share for this iconic property.”

The deal for Frakes was negotiated by Paradigm’s Babacar Diene, Bill Douglass, and Wilson Rubinoff, along with Fun Republic Pictures’ Cormican. Palatin Media will handle international sales, excluding Latin America, which will be represented by Claxson.