Xena producer to create new NZ series

The producer of television series Hercules, and Xena: Warrior Princess is returning to New Zealand to produce a new swords and sorcery television series.

In a growing trend for American television, Rob Tapert will skip the step of making a pilot programme and go straight into production of 22 episodes of Wizard's First Rule for Disney-ABC Domestic Television and ABC Studios.

The show business newspaper Variety said the series has already been sold.

Each 1-hour episode will have a NZ director and the series will be shot in the Auckland region over 36 months, starting from next month.

One of the episodes will be directed by New Zealand actor Michael Hurst who starred in the original Hercules episodes.

Tapert, who married Xena star Lucy Lawless in 1998, is working with Spider-Man director Sam Raimi on the series, based on author Terry Goodkind's popular fantasy books.

Wizard's First Rule is based around a backwoods guide, Richard Cypher, in Westland, the only part of the world which contains no magic. While investigating the mysterious murder of his father he rescues a woman, Kahlan Amnell, who has crossed over from the "magic" side of the world, and does battle with an evil dictator.

The major roles will use American actors while New Zealand actors are likely to be used for some of the minor parts.