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SYFY's new space series 'The Ark' from Dean Devlin kicks off production, reveals main cast
Independence Day and Stargate writer Dean Devlin is blasting back off into space.
Dean Devlin's new space-set SYFY television series — The Ark — has officially begun production with its main cast, the network announced Thursday.
Christie Burke (Maid), Richard Fleeshman (Deep Heat), Reece Ritchie (The Lovely Bones), Stacey Read (Aneni), and Ryan Adams lead the show, which takes place 100 years in the future where humanity has turned to colonizing planets in an effort to survive.
The first of these interstellar missions, fittingly dubbed "Ark One," suffers a catastrophic event that leads to a massive amount of destruction and death. With a year still left before the ship reaches its intended destination, the crew must pool their resources (and wits) together to see the cosmic journey through to the bitter end.
Burke is playing Lt. Sharon Garnet, a low-ranking officer whose penchant for staying out of the spotlight is put to the ultimate test when Ark One is damaged. Fleeshman steps into the shoes of Lt. James Brice, head of the ship's navigational systems. Ritchie is Lt. Spencer Lane, a villain in the making who believes that only those with the strongest wills have a right to survival. Read takes on the role of Alicia Nevins, a brilliant young woman whose skills are being (pun intended) wasted on the ship's Waste Management team. Lastly, Adams portrays Angus Medford, an insecure young man with a talent for farming and horticulture.
The Ark was ordered straight-to-series in late January with a 12-episode order from SYFY. Principal photography is currently taking place at at PFI Studios in Belgrade, Serbia. Stargate SG-1 vet Jonathan Glassner will serve as co-showrunner and executive producer alongside Devlin (known for penning beloved sci-fi films like Stargate and Independence Day alongside Roland Emmerich).
“The Ark is a perfect fit for SYFY audiences and we know fans will gravitate to this heart-racing story from Dean Devlin, one of the most accomplished and respected sci-fi writers working today,” said Lisa Katz, President, Scripted Content, NBCU Entertainment and Streaming, when the show was first announced. “With the recent success of both Resident Alien and Chucky, the network is home to several of the most creative storytellers working in all of television.”
“I’m so excited to have the opportunity to partner with SYFY again and can’t think of a better collaborator than Jonathan Glassner to bring this series to life,” added Devlin.
Marc Roskin and Rachel Olschan-Wilson (of Devlin's Electric Entertainment banner) are executive producers with Jonathan English (of Balkanic Media) on board as producer. Electric Entertainment will handle International sales.
