ZOOEY DESCHANEL WAKES UP IN O.Z. IN SCI FI'S 'TIN MAN' MINI

Six-Hour Miniseries From RHI Entertainment Slated for December Premiere

New York, NY � February 16, 2007 � Acclaimed actress Zooey Deschanel ('Failure to Launch,' 'All the Real Girls') has been cast as the lead in SCI FI Channel's upcoming six-hour miniseries 'Tin Man' (working title) from RHI Entertainment. The wildly re-imagined fantasy take on Frank Baum's classic book, 'The Wizard of Oz,' is slated to begin production next month in Vancouver and will premiere in December.

Deschanel will take on the role of DG, a young woman plucked from her humdrum life and thrust into The Outer Zone (the O.Z.) � a fantastical realm rife with wonder, but oppressed by dark magic. She joins Alan Cumming (previously announced), who plays "Glitch," one of a motley assortment of colorful characters trapped in the O.Z.

A sometimes psychedelic, often twisted and always outrageous take on the book, SCI FI's 'Tin Man' follows DG on the adventure of a lifetime. Plunged headlong into another world, DG (Deschanel) must discover her true identity, battle evil winged-monkey-bats, and attempt to fulfill her destiny. Her perilous journey begins on the fabled Old Road that leads to a wizard known as the Mystic Man. Along the way, she is joined by a decidedly strange trio of companions � "Glitch," (Cumming) an odd man missing half his brain; "Raw," a quietly powerful wolverine-like creature longing for inner courage, and "Cain," a heroic former policeman (known in the O.Z. as Tin Men, for their tin badges) seeking vengeance for his scarred heart. Ultimately, DG's destiny leads her to an emotional and terrifying showdown with the scintillatingly wicked sorceress Azkadellia, whose ties to DG are closer than anyone could have imagined. DG's life, as well as the very future of the O.Z., hangs in the balance.

'Tin Man' will be executive produced by Robert Halmi, Sr. and Robert Halmi, Jr. Co-writers Steven Long Mitchell and Craig Van Sickle ('Medical Investigation,' 'The Pretender') will also serve as executive producers on the project. Nick Willing ('Jason & The Argonauts,' 'Alice in Wonderland') will direct.

One of Hollywood's most sought after young actresses, Zooey Deschanel has starred in a string of critically-acclaimed independent features, including 'The Good Girl' with Jennifer Aniston, 'All The Real Girls' � for which she received an Independent Spirit Award nomination � and the upcoming films 'The Good Life' and 'The Go-Getter.' She has also appeared in Hollywood blockbusters like 'Elf,' 'Almost Famous' and 'Failure to Launch.' Currently, she can be seen in 'Bridge to Terabithia,' based on the Newberry Award-winning children's novel. She will also appear opposite Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck in the film 'The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,' which will be released later this year. Deschanel recently completed voicing a surfing penguin alongside Shia LaBeouf and Jeff Bridges for the animated movie 'Surf's Up,' due out this summer.

RHI Entertainment, LLC is the global leader in the production and distribution of groundbreaking miniseries and movies for television. Since the company's inception, under the guidance of Robert Halmi, Sr. and Robert Halmi, Jr., RHI has produced and distributed over 4,000 hours of quality television programming, received 104 Emmy Awards and outperformed the competition annually in viewer ratings. Currently, RHI provides 40-60 new television movies and miniseries a year to networks worldwide.

SCI FI Channel is a television network where "what if" is what's on. SCI FI fuels the imagination of viewers with original series and events, blockbuster movies and classic science fiction and fantasy programming, as well as a dynamic Web site (www.scifi.com ) and magazine. Launched in 1992, and currently in 86 million homes, SCI FI Channel is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies.