SyFy bets BIG, really BIG, ONE HUNDRED AND FIVE MILLION DOLLARS BIG on Defiance

[techs]

http://www.adweek.com/news/advertis...s-105m-tv-series-and-video-game-147622?page=1

Syfy Bets $105m on a TV Series and Video Game [Updated]
Takes big swing on apocalyptic space Western

At the risk of stating the obvious, $105 million is a lot of money. That's about what Comcast and NBCUniversal have shelled out on the new Syfy series and video game Defiance, a hybrid unlike anything you’ve seen on television. I mean your computer. Wait, make that your PlayStation.

Look, it's new. It doesn’t fit into any one box in your living room.

Still, $105 million is the rough budget for the project, which includes a staggering $40 million for the TV series alone (for perspective, HBO, the gold standard for expensive TV, shelled out $60 million on Game of Thrones' first season). The balance pays for the $50 million it cost to make the video game, developed with software company Trion Worlds, which shares the financial burden (NBCU owns half of the game with Trion), and the show's huge marketing budget—upwards of $15 million.

That budget alone indicates just how big a swing Defiance is, not just for Syfy but for NBCUniversal's whole cable division. Sources say the show, which debuts April 15 at 9 p.m., is being given as high a level of internal promotional attention as Universal Studios’ feature films. "[It’s] top-priority across Comcast for March and April, up there with Fast & Furious 6," says one insider.

In other words, Defiance had better hit big.

 

[waggy]

it looks good. they been pushing it hard. i hope it it succeeds.

 

[phucheneh]

I have never heard of this show.

Yep, same market penetration as Fast and Furious 6.


(...why is there a Fast and Furious 6?)

edit: 50m for a game with photo-textured people? Really? Is this a sequel to Max Payne?

 

[DestinyKnight]

should have just revived Firefly instead.

 

[KaOTiK]

Played the beta a few weeks back, it was rather meh. Very average, hopefully it improves as I like to see a new idea tying in with the show succeed.

 

[techs]

Syfy could be in deep trouble.
The WWE has been trying to set up their own cable network and if they do they may pull all their shows onto their new network.
Leaving Syfy with nothing produced for them but reality shows and Being Human, assuming Warehouse 13 is cancelled at the end of the season.
Lost Girl and Continuum could pretty much demand a lot more money if Defiance bombs and the WWE leaves.

 

[GrumpyMan]

They might even have to put the science fiction back in SyFy.

 

[Red Storm]

The show sounds interesting.

The video game is a complete and utter waste of money.

 

[darkewaffle]

I don't see this ending well for them.

 

[Imp]

The channel with the rights to this show here has been spamming ads for this show for months. I'm not really impressed...

 

[disappoint]

should have just revived Firefly Star Trek instead.

ftffmfy

 

[homercles337]

> The video game is a massively multiplayer third-person shooter...

Yeah, nope.

 

[lupi]

got a review this from them a month or so ago on this, absolutely murdered it as I expect a massive failfest.

 

[diesbudt]

The good days, when shows like Eureka were on Syfy. Besides Warehouse 13, I do not watch anything on that channel now.

 

[Gibsons]

zero interest in the game here, but I really hope the show is decent and gets good enough ratings. Even if I don't like it, it will hopefully encourage more high budget sci fi.

 

[waggy]

zero interest in the game here, but I really hope the show is decent and gets good enough ratings. Even if I don't like it, it will hopefully encourage more high budget sci fi.

this is why i hope it succeeds. maybe the next one will be something even better?

 

[Kadarin]

Even if it's good, Syfy will cancel it after one or two seasons.

 

[unokitty]

http://www.adweek.com/news/advertis...s-105m-tv-series-and-video-game-147622?page=1

Syfy Bets $105m on a TV Series and Video Game [Updated]
Takes big swing on apocalyptic space Western

Isn't that what Firefly was?

If so, I wish them luck.

Uno

 

[ImpulsE69]

Hadn't heard of this, but the trailers do give a very Firefly vibe. Will be awaiting to see how it is

Unfortunately, as stated above, if it really costs this much for them to make, then they'll cancel it just after people get hooked because it "costs too much".

 

[Cuda1447]

I hope it does well!

 

[shadow9d9]

The game looks like crap and Syfy has destroyed too many good franchises for me to watch any of their crap... no thanks.

 

[waggy]

Even if it's good, Syfy will cancel it after one or two seasons.

only after they do each episode out of sync and change what day it is on weekly.

 

[Miramonti]

After turning down blood and chrome, I'll have no sympathy if this dives.

 

[Eug]

Julie Benz and Mia Kirshner!?! I'll watch it just for them.

BTW, there must be a dearth of good sci-fi recently, because Space (in Canada), which airs a lot of shows also popular on SyFy, now is airing daily Castle episodes despite the fact there is no sci-fi-ness to Castle at all. It replaces the daily airing of Stargate SG-1 and then Stargate Atlantis.

BTW, it's filming in Toronto, which isn't surprise given the numerous Canadian actors. I wonder if I can go spy on them somewhere. Or maybe they'll rent my house out for a shoot?

EDIT:

Bait and switch. It seems Julie Benz and Mia Kirshner are not main characters, despite the fact they're highlighted in the press shots.

 

[Lonyo]

The show creator is Rockne S. O’Bannon, whose credits include a cult Syfy show from the late 1990s called Farscape.

That almost makes it sound like 1) SyFy existed in the late 90s and 2) SyFy had anything to do with Farscape beyond buying the rights to broadcast it.