Production on the one-hour conspiracy thriller drama, XIII commenced September 13 in Toronto and surrounding areas. Stuart Townsend (The League of Extraordinary Gentleman, Queen of the Damned) headlines the series as XIII, a skilled and lethal former secret agent who can’t remember his past and sets out on a quest to uncover his true identity. The 13 episode Canada-France original series is set to premiere on Showcase in Spring 2011.
Hunted by a dark anti-government organization, XIII quickly realizes that the closer he gets to uncovering the riddle of his past life, the more complex and deadly his mission becomes. Alongside Townsend, XIII stars Aisha Tyler (24, CSI, Friends) as Jones, a top CIA operator and XIII’s past flame, Virginie Ledoyen (The Beach) as Irina, a mercenary hired by the former U.S. President to track XIII, and Caterina Murino (Casino Royale) as Sam, XIII’s trustworthy ally and love interest. Other key cast members include Greg Bryk (Saw V, Cra$h & Burn) as Amos, a national security officer, Stephen McHattie (Happy Town, 2012) as President Carrington and Ted Atherton (The Border) as Wally Sheridan, the former U.S. President and a possible traitor.
“The suspenseful drama series XIII will captivate audiences with its dynamic characters and intriguing storylines,” said Christine Shipton, SVP, Dramatic and Factual Content, Canwest Broadcasting. “XIII promises to deliver on the elements viewers expect from a top-notch action series.”
XIII is developed and produced by Prodigy Pictures and French production company Cipango, the television division of Luc Besson’s Europacorp (La Femme Nikita). In addition to airing in Canada on Showcase, the series will air on Canal Plus in France as part of their international original programming.
The creative forces behind XIII include Prodigy Pictures’ Jay Firestone, Executive Producer, along with Cipango’s Edouard De Vésinne and Thomas Anargyros. Frederic Bruneel will co-produce the series. Gil Grant (NCIS: Los Angeles, 24) wrote the pilot and is the series’ Showrunner and also an Executive Producer. Peter Mohan (Lost Girl, The Bridge) will act as Co-Executive Producer for the series along with Damien Couvreur. Duane Clark (CSI: NY, XIII: The Conspiracy) will also be a Co-Executive Producer and direct three of the 13 episodes. Other directors include Xavier Palud and Philippe Haim. Wanda Chaffey serves as Producer on the series.
XIII is based on Jean Van Hamme’s popular graphic novel of the same name, which has sold more than 13 million copies worldwide since the first volume was published 25 years ago.
