Production begins on Borealis pilot for Space

From a media release:

Production Begins on New SPACE Pilot, BOREALIS

• Cast includes impressive list of top-notch genre stars

SPACE announced today that production is now underway on the pilot for a new, intensely thought-provoking and politically charged original drama series, BOREALIS. Set in the Canadian Arctic, the two-hour pilot is shooting on location in Alberta, with principal photography expected to wrap in mid-November. Also announced today is the stellar BOREALIS cast, including familiar faces from hit SPACE programming, such as BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, EUREKA, SMALLVILLE and THE LISTENER.

BOREALIS, set approximately 30 years in the future, tells the story of a DEADWOOD-like frontier town situated in the high Arctic. The series explores the political, environmental and social impact of a world in which the polar icecaps have melted and countries are vying for the last vestiges of oil in the Arctic.

The ensemble cast features Ty Olsson (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 and 2, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA) as Vic, an ultimate fighter turned entrepreneur who now owns Borealis’s airstrip, hotel and bar, and does his best to keep the peace; Michelle Harrison (EUREKA) as Alison, a misanthropic environmental guerrilla blogger; Patrick Gallagher (TRUE BLOOD) as Taq, a techno-handy Inuit local trying to make the best of a bad situation; Christine Horne (REPUBLIC OF DOYLE) as Svetlana, a mysterious and powerful international diplomat whose allegiance is unclear; Greyston Holt (DURHAM COUNTY) as Dan, a seemingly friendly post-doc from Berkley who may know more than he lets on; Cristina Rosato (LOST GIRL) as Bettina, the town’s only prostitute; Bryan Dick (BEING HUMAN) as Clive, a British rig worker whose shifting alliances get him into trouble; Mayko Nguyen (ROOKIE BLUE) as Hoshi, the Canadian Secretary of Northern Initiatives, who tries to keep Vic in line and maintain order from her post in Ottawa; Paulino Nunes (ALPHAS) as Anton, who is determined to lay claim to the Arctic lands and resources for the Russian empire, by any means necessary; and Karan Oberoi (THE LISTENER) as Ramindar, a Canadian Forces sergeant frustrated with his lack of power in the lawless international free zone.

BOREALIS was created by writers Andrew Wreggitt (MAYERTHORPE, DON CHERRY: THE SEQUEL) and Andrew Rai Berzins (Beowulf & Grendel, Chasing Cain). It is produced by Slanted Wheel Entertainment and SEVEN24 Films. Tom Cox (Burn Up, Wild Roses) and Jordy Randall (HEARTLAND, MAYERTHORPE) of SEVEN24 Films, and Jon Slan (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels; Wyatt Earp) of Slanted Wheel Entertainment are the executive producers. Rebecca DiPasquale is Production Executive for Bell Media. Corrie Coe is Senior Vice-President, Independent Production, Bell Media.