GROUPM ENTERTAINMENT PARTNERS WITH ‘SMALLVILLE’ EXECUTIVE PRODUCER & GRAPHIC INDIA FOR NEW TV SERIES ‘THE ADVENTURERS CLUB’
New Series Created by James Marshall, Sharad Devarajan and Gotham Chopra, Based on the Graphic Novel in Development
LOS ANGELES—GroupM Entertainment announced today a new partnership with digital media startup, Graphic India and the acclaimed Smallville producer, James Marshall, for a new live-action television series called The Adventurers Club.
Under the terms of the deal, GroupM Entertainment will share executive producer credit and ownership of the series, including syndication rights. In addition to financing, GME will lend creative and strategic support to the show’s creators with the goal of seeing the property entertain audiences worldwide.
“This is an exciting new project for us and we’re very anxious to take it to market and find a distributor,” said GME Global CEO Peter Tortorici. “All of us at GroupM are particularly excited about working with James Marshall, whose background and experience will take this show to a new level.”
Marshall and Graphic India Co-Founders, Sharad Devarajan and Gotham Chopra created the series and will serve as executive producers. Emmy-nominated television writer Sam Egan will write the pilot and is also a producer.
“The Adventurers Club unlocks a global mystery revealing secrets and clues embedded in mankind’s history, mythology, legends and lore since the dawn of recorded time, and asks the question, how far would you go to save the ones you love?” said Devarajan, CEO of Graphic India. “GroupM Entertainment is the perfect partner to collaborate on a global, transmedia story such as this, given their strong relationships with broadcasters, digital platforms and brands around the world.”
The Adventurers Club tells the story of Edward Hughes, a man driven by a personal quest for redemption to save his wife and missing son. His journey takes the viewer through secret societies, forbidden cults, lost cultures and supernatural events, unlocking secrets that have devastating consequences. The secret destiny of the human race will finally be revealed—saving us or damning us forever.
“The Adventurers Club is a project that I am very passionate about,” added James Marshall. “The story world is vast and compelling and the subject matter is incredibly thought provoking. It’s something you could explore forever and never get bored,”
Marshall is an award-winning producer and television director. He has produced or directed more than 160 episodes of television including Smallville, Falling Skies, Charlie’s Angels, The O.C., Tarzan, Birds of Prey, Charmed and Dead Like Me.
In addition to The Adventurers Club, series creators Devarajan and Chopra are screenwriters and producers on the feature film “The Sadhu,” in development with producer, Mark Canton’s, Atmosphere Entertainment (‘300, The Immortals’). Graphic India was formed by Liquid Comics and CA Media, the Asian investment arm of The Chernin Group.
The Adventurers Club will also be launched later this year as a new interactive mobile comic app from Graphic India.
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ABOUT GROUPM ENTERTAINMENT
GroupM Entertainment, an operating unit of GroupM Worldwide, is engaged in the business of creating, financing and distributing intellectual property to create advantages for its clients and generate business opportunities for its agencies. GroupM Entertainment provides financial, business and legal support to the Agency Entertainment teams at Maxus, MEC, MediaCom and Mindshare. In addition, best practice creative support is provided to insure that the Agency Entertainment offerings provide best in class Entertainment Marketing solutions to clients. To help support these client service efforts, GroupM Entertainment makes capital investments in properties to be produced and distributed in both television and on-line media. GroupM Entertainment funds are invested to fund either the production or acquisition of a property to be carried by a media network. The goal is to see these properties achieve a return by being sold outside the market of their origination, and we work with local GroupM auspices to achieve this objective where possible.
ABOUT GRAPHIC INDIA
Graphic India is a character entertainment company focused on creating leading characters, comics and stories through mobile and digital platforms. Founded by media entrepreneurs Sharad Devarajan, Gotham Chopra and Suresh Seetharaman, Graphic India is owned by U.S. comic book Company, Liquid Comics and CA Media LP, the Asian investment arm of The Chernin Group, LLC (TCG). The company’s partners and investors bring together decades of experience in building businesses in character entertainment, media and India.
Graphic believes that India is home to some of the most creative talent in the world, with more than 500 million people under the age of 25 and more than 850 million mobile phone users in the country. The Company’s mission is to create enduring stories and heroes that foster the imaginations and fuel the inspirations of a new globalized generation of youth in both India and around the world.
Graphic’s stories include, Ramayan 3392A.D., The Leaves and The Sadhu, all currently in development as Hollywood feature films; 18 Days, a reimagining of the great eastern epic, the Mahabharata, by acclaimed graphic novel creator, Grant Morrison which was launched as an animated digital series in partnership with YouTube India; Devi, a female superhero from acclaimed filmmaker, Shekhar Kapur; Chakra The Invincible, the first superhero for India from legendary creator Stan Lee; and numerous other heroes and stories. www.GraphicIndia.com
MEDIA CONTACT
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For further information please contact: cindy.spellman@groupm.com, anita@actimediaindia.com, or press@graphicindia.com