ERIC JOHNSON BRINGS SOME 'FLASH' TO SCI FI'S SIZZLING NEW SERIES

'Flash Gordon' Slated to Premiere in August 2007

New York, NY � April 11, 2007 � Eric Johnson has been cast in the title role of SCI FI Channel's newest original action-adventure series, Flash Gordon. Produced by Reunion Pictures, this modern day retelling of the classic comic strip franchise will begin production in May with an eye toward an August 2007 premiere. RHI Entertainment will be distributing the series internationally.

Placing a 21st century spin on a science fiction classic, SCI FI's contemporized version of Flash Gordon follows the all-new adventures of Flash (Johnson) and his companions, Dale Arden and Dr. Hans Zarkov. Ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances, they find themselves as Earth's last line of defense against the forces of the merciless dictator Ming.

The first two episodes of Flash Gordon are being written by Peter Hume (Charmed, Cruel Intentions II) and directed by Rick Rosenthal. Additional casting is currently underway.

Under an agreement with property owner King Features Syndicate, the new series is being produced by Matthew O'Connor and Tom Rowe. RHI's Robert Halmi, Sr. and Robert Halmi, Jr. (Tin Man, Mitch Albom's The Five People You Meet in Heaven, The Ten Commandments), who previously produced SCI FI's popular miniseries event Legend of Earthsea, will serve as Executive Producers on the series.

Canadian actor Eric Johnson is most recognized for his role as Whitney Fordman on Smallville, a character he portrayed for three years (2001�2004). His career began over a decade ago, when he landed the role of "teen Tristan," the younger counterpart to Brad Pitt in the film Legends of the Fall. Prior to and following Smallville, he worked in a number of films, including Texas Rangers, Question of Privilege, Stealing Sinatra and Bang Bang You're Dead. Most recently, Johnson made guest starring appearances in several television series, including Criminal Minds, The Dead Zone, Ghost Whisperer and The Unit.

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.

Reunion Pictures Inc. is a development, financing and production company based in Vancouver, Canada. Its principals, Lisa Richardson, Matthew O'Connor and Tom Rowe each have 30 years of experience in all aspects of the film and television business.

King Features Syndicate is a member of Hearst Entertainment and Syndication Group, which combines The Hearst Corporation's cable network partnerships, television programming activities, and newspaper syndication and merchandise licensing operations. King Features is the world's premier distributor of comics, columns, editorial cartoons, puzzles and games, distributing some 150 features to nearly 5,000 newspapers around the globe. It is one of the largest and most experienced organizations in merchandising licensing. Among its most beloved and successful classic characters are "Popeye," "Betty Boop," "Blondie" and "Dennis the Menace." In recent years, the company has diversified and now represents properties such as the trendy apparel and accessory brands, David & Goliath, the publicly displayed, life-size art sculptures GuitarMania and The Trail of Painted Ponies; the conscientious-living brand, "Mutts," and SeeMore's Playhouse, the new children's series for public television.

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 89 million homes, SCI FI Channel is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies.

FLASH GORDON � 2007 King Features Syndicate. TM Hearst Holdings, Inc.