Cannes serves as launch pad for Roman Coppola's sci-fi mission

Cannes serves as launch pad for Roman Coppola's sci-fi mission


WTTW National Productions has
teamed up with Roman Coppola’s
Directors Bureau to launch Mission
To Planet 429 (104 x 11 mins or 52
x 30 mins), a new mixed-media
comedy-adventure series for children
aged between six and nine.

Daniel Schmidt (photo), president and CEO
of WTTW, said the property would
premiere on US public television
in 2010, as well as on media platforms
and in markets worldwide.

The retro sci-fi Mission To Planet
429 focuses on the twists and turns
of two rookie intergalactic ‘earthsplorers’,
who are attempting to
save their planet from peril.

The series
aims to encourage children to
develop their reading and comprehension
skills as they tackle
informational text. The project has
been partly funded through a Ready
To Learn grant from the US Department
of Education.

Schmidt said: “Mission To Planet 429
is a tremendously exciting project
and it has been great to have Roman
Coppola, who is the son of the legendary
film producer Francis Ford
Coppola, and Directors Bureau involved
.
Roman has built a very
successful career in film and music,
but this is a new departure for him.”

At MIPCOM, WTTW is seeking international
co-production partners for
the series, which combines strong storylines
with adventure and comedy.
Coppola added: “Mission To
Planet 429 will be truly innovative.
I created the series to be the type
of show I would have loved when
I was eight-years-old and watching
iconic titles like UFO and
Thunderbirds. Although kids’ programming
is a new area to me, I
jumped at the opportunity to become
involved with this project.”

This article and more in the MIPCOM daily News, online soon!