Syfy is expanding its relationship with Entertainment One.
The NBCUniversal-owned cable network has acquired Canadian original scripted werewolf drama Bitten, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Based on the best-selling novels Women of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong, the supernatural thriller stars Smallville's Laura Vandervoort as Elena Michaels, the lone female werewolf in existence. The 13-episode drama will unspool on Syfy -- and Bell Media's Space in Canada -- in 2014.
The series follows Elena as she attempts to escape a world she never wanted to be part of as well as the man who turned her into a werewolf after she abandons her pack and takes refuge in a new city, where she works as a photographer and hides her werewolf existence from her boyfriend. When bodies begin turning up in her pack's backyard, she finds herself back at Stonehaven, the werewolves' ancestral domain where she wills top at nothing to defend her pack.
STORY: WGN America, eOne Developing Period Drama 'Shadow Land' (Exclusive)
"Bitten is a fantastic blend of supernatural action, intense thrills, smoldering drama and a tortured love story that artfully adapts characters beloved for more than a decade by millions of readers around the world,” said Chris Regina, senior vp programming at Syfy. "It's an excellent complement to our roster of programming and we cannot wait to share Elena, her pack and their stories with the Syfy audience.”
Bitten, which co-stars Greg Bryk, Greyston Holt and Paul Greene, hails from No Equal Entertainment, Hoodwink Entertainment and eOne in association with Space and Bell Media. No Equal's J.B. Sugar, Hoodwink's Patrick Banister and John Barbisan and eOne's Tecca Crosby, John Morayniss and Margaret O'Brien will executive produce. Daegan Fryklind and Grant Rosenberg will executive produce the series and serve as co-showrunners.
STORY: '12 Monkeys' Adaptation Near Series Order at Syfy (Exclusive)
"Our partners at No Equal Entertainment, Hoodwink Entertainment and eOne have brought to life a sexy and suspenseful new series and we are delighted Syfy has found it equally as compelling for their audience,” said Corrie Coe, senior vp independent production at Bell Media. "With a strong female lead at its core, we know audiences on both sides of the border will be rabid followers of Bitten."
Added eOne exec vp global production Carrie Stein: "The eOne team responded enthusiastically to Bitten because it’s a strong genre piece with a unique premise -- the first female werewolf in a pack of men. It’s a sexy, action-packed drama with a love triangle at the center -- all very appealing to the global audience.”
STORY: 'Dominion' Lands Pilot Order as Syfy Bulks Up on Originals
For eOne, the Bitten deal continues the independent studio's relationship with Syfy where it has drama Haven currently airing its fourth season. The series also marks eOne's latest U.S. entry, joining The CW comedy Seed, ABC'sRookie Blue, AMC's Hell on Wheels, DirecTV's Rogue and Discovery's upcoming first original scripted miniseries Klondike.
The series marks the latest Canadian import at Syfy as the cable network looks to firm up its lineup of original scripted programming for 2014. In addition to the second season of Defiance, Continuum and Ron Moore's Helix and more.
E-mail: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @Snoodit
