Riese licensed by Syfy

Regular readers may remember that a couple of months ago I posted about how the creators of steampunk/fantasy adventure webseries Riese had partnered with Fireworks, a digital distribution branch of ContentFilm, based out of the UK, with a view to securing the ongoing future of the series and opening up other distribution platforms such as episode downloads, DVDs, and television.

Well, there's exciting news today, from series co-creator Ryan Copple via the Riese blog, that Syfy has licensed Riese:

SYFY DIGITAL ACQUIRES RIESE – ACCLAIMED, STREAMY AWARD-WINNING 10-PART FANTASY-ADVENTURE WEB SERIES FOR FALL 2010

Season One and The Never-Before-Seen Season Two To Be Streamed on Syfy Digital With Eye Towards Development for Broadcast

New York, New York – April 8, 2010 – Syfy remains on the forefront of cutting edge fantasy based digital entertainment with the acquisition of the highly acclaimed web series, Riese, it was announced today by Craig Engler, SVP and GM of Syfy Digital. Syfy Digital has acquired the rights to the entire 10-part series – which is distributed by Fireworks International, the television and digital distribution arm of ContentFilm plc – with an eye towards development for a broadcast air. Riese consists of two five-part episode seasons, with season two premiering fully for the first time exclusively on Syfy.com. Season one and two are both slated for a digital launch in the fall 2010.

“Riese is a fantastic web series with a lot of room to grow, and we’re excited to work with the very talented cast and crew to help them take the show to the next level, backed by the full promotional efforts that Syfy can bring to the table,” said Engler. “At the same time we’ll be working hand-in-hand with our TV development team to see if Riese has the potential to make the jump to TV, just like our hit show Sanctuary did.”

Riese recently scooped the Streamy Award for ‘Best Cinematography in a Web Series’ with a further three nominations for Best Sound Design, Best Foreign Series and Art Direction. The digital series starring Christine Chatelain (Sanctuary, Fringe), Sharon Taylor (Smallville, Eureka), Ben Cotton (Stargate Atlantis, Haper’s Island), and Patrick Gilmore (Fringe, Stargate Universe), was shot in Vancouver, BC, and is created by Ryan Copple and Kaleena Kiff and produced by Galen Fletcher and Nicholas Humphries.

Jonathan Ford, Executive Vice-President, Digital Acquisitions and Distribution at Fireworks International added, “Syfy is highly regarded in the digital community with a fantastic background in identifying and securing the best in new multiplatform content. We are delighted to announce this significant deal for the important US market and look forward to working with the Syfy team on the web series as well as developing Riese for television.”

The press release continues on the official Riese blog

Great news for those involved in producing the series and, of course, for those of us that have enjoyed watching the series so far.

Riese - official website