Emily Beecham, Sarah Bolger and Oliver Stark Join Cast Of Martial Arts Drama
NEW YORK, NY, November 24, 2014 – AMC today announced acclaimed director David Dobkin (“The Judge,” “Wedding Crashers,” “The Change-Up,” “Shanghai Knights”) had joined its martial arts drama “Badlands” (working title) as series director and an executive producer.
Emily Beecham (“28 Weeks Later,” “The Village”), Sarah Bolger (“The Tudors,” “In America”) and Oliver Stark (“The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box,” “My Hero”) have joined the cast as series regulars.
“Badlands” is a genre-bending martial arts series very loosely based on the classic Chinese tale “Journey to the West.” In a land controlled by feudal barons, “Badlands” tells the story of a great warrior and a young boy who embark on a journey across a dangerous land to find enlightenment.
AMC has ordered six, one-hour episodes, with an expected premiere in late 2015 or early 2016. The project was created by writers/show runners Al Gough and Miles Millar (“Shanghai Noon,” “Smallville”). They’ll serve as exec producers along with Oscar-Nominated producers Stacy Sher and Michael Shamberg (“Pulp Fiction,” “Contagion”) and master martial arts filmmakers Daniel Wu (“Tai Chi Zero”) and Stephen Fung.
“I am thrilled to be directing ‘Badlands,’” Dobkin said. “Aside from the amazing group of people I get to work with – everyone at AMC, plus Stacy and Michael, and Al and Miles for the second time – it’s a brilliant, visionary project that finally gives the fan-boy in me something to dig my teeth into.”
From AMC Studios, “Badlands” will be distributed internationally by Entertainment One Television (eOne).
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About AMC
Whether commemorating favorite films from every genre and decade, or creating acclaimed original programming, AMC brings to its audience something deeper, something richer, Something More. The network reigns as the only cable network in history ever to win the Emmy® Award for Outstanding Drama Series four years in a row with “Mad Men,” and six of the last seven with current back-to-back honoree, “Breaking Bad.” The network boasts the most-watched drama series in basic cable history and the number one show on television among adults 18-49 for the last two years with “The Walking Dead.” AMC’s original drama series include “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad,” “The Walking Dead,” “Hell on Wheels,” “TURN: Washington’s Spies,” “Halt and Catch Fire” and the forthcoming “Breaking Bad” prequel “Better Call Saul,” “Humans” and “Badlands.” AMC also explores authentic worlds and discussion with original shows like “Talking Dead” and “Comic Book Men.” AMC is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc. and its sister networks include IFC, SundanceTV, BBC America and WE tv. AMC is available across all platforms, including on-air, online, on demand and mobile. AMC: Something More.