IAN HART, AUGUSTUS PREW AND JOHNNY SIMMONS JOIN THE CAST OF DISCOVERY'S FIRST SCRIPTED MINI-SERIES "KLONDIKE"

(LOS ANGELES) - Additional casting for Discovery Channel's first-ever, scripted mini-series KLONDIKE (wt) has been announced. Ian Hart, Augustus Prew and Johnny Simmons join the cast of KLONDIKE, joining previously announced cast members Chris Cooper and Abbie Cornish.

Ian Hart will be playing the role of Soapy Smith. Hart recently had roles in HBO's "Luck" and FX's "Dirt". Additionally, Hart has had roles in such films as "Finding Neverland," "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," and "Enemy of the State."

Augustus Prew will be playing the role of Byron Epstein. Prew comes to KLONDIKE on the heels of shooting "Kick-Ass 2" and will soon be seen starring in the highly anticipated BBC drama, "The Village". Additionally, Prew is known for his roles in "Charlie St. Cloud," "The Kid," and Showtime's "The Borgias."

Johnny Simmons will be playing the role of Jack London. Simmons joins the cast after finishing production on Atom Egoyan's upcoming film "The Devil's Knot" as well as "The To Do List". Simmons was most recently seen in "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" and is known for his roles in "21 Jump Street," "The Conspirator," "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" and "Jennifer's Body."

The mini-series, previously announced last year, is based on Charlotte Gray's book Gold Diggers: Striking It Rich in the Klondike, and brings to life the tale about six strangers and their collective fight for survival and wealth in a small, frontier town in the remote Klondike. KLONDIKE is a co-production between Discovery, Entertainment One (eOne), and Nomadic Pictures, in association with Scott Free Productions. International distribution is handled by eOne Television. Paul Scheuring ("Prison Break," "A Man Apart") is the primary writer and will serve as Executive Producer, along with Ridley Scott and David W. Zucker; as well as John Morayniss and Michael Rosenberg for eOne. Eileen O'Neill and Dolores Gavin will serve as Executive Producers for Discovery.

KLONDIKE follows the lives of two childhood best friends, Bill and Epstein, in the late 1890s as they undertake the next, gold rush capital in the untamed Yukon Territory. This man-versus-nature tale places our heroes in a land full of undiscovered wealth, but ravaged by harsh conditions, unpredictable weather and desperate, dangerous characters including greedy businessmen, seductive courtesans and native tribes witnessing the destruction of their people and land by opportunistic entrepreneurs.

Production begins in March 2013 under the direction of Simon Cellan Jones ("Generation Kill,", "Treme") on location in Alberta, Canada. The series will be produced with assistance of the Government of Alberta, Alberta Film Development Program.