On the eve of NATPE's 2009 Market & Conference, Flavor Flav and filmmaker Deon Taylor (Chain Letter) have inked a deal to turn their BET movie NITE TALES into an anthology series. At the same time, syndicator Trifecta Entertainment & Media, headed by CEO Hank Cohen, has formed a joint venture with Dennis Ray's Star Media, which sells advertising time on syndicated series, specializing in the urban marketplace. The Flav-hosted "Tales" marks the first project to come out of the new venture, TriStar Media.
"Tales," described as "30-minute tales of irony and twists," originated with the BET movie that aired on Halloween and is set for DVD release Feb. 3 by BET, Paramount and Deon Taylor Enterprises.
TriStar is co-producing the series with DTE and will look for a cable partner initially. Trifecta would take over distribution duties for a syndication launch. The parties are set to present "Tales," Trifecta's first scripted co-production, at NATPE, which kicks off Monday in Las Vegas.
"In forming TriStar Media with Dennis, one of the key objectives is to identify new and innovative properties," Cohen said. "Teaming with a talented filmmaker like Deon, with his extraordinary vision, imagination and energy, makes 'Nite Tales' the perfect launch project for the new venture."
Taylor describes the new show as "Tales From the Crypt" meets "The Twilight Zone," with Flav playing a role similar to "Crypt's" Cryptkeeper as he did in the BET movie. The show will have a Web presence, including an online contest Taylor is planning in which fans can name Flav's character.
"Flavor Flav is hilarious, but at the same time, the show is in the horror genre," Taylor said. "It's going to be very refreshing, a cut away from the norm of what's on TV right now."
Taylor said the show will be shot at his Sacramento-based soundstage. He is targeting a young audience that might not have grown up on "Crypt" or "Zone," for whom "Tales" would be a new concept.
The plan is for "Tales" to premiere this year as a weekly cable series, with an immediate syndication window next year. In success, the parties said the show could follow an expedited production schedule so that, with the cable outlet as a partner, new episodes could be made available as a strip for subsequent years.
Taylor and Flav are set to executive produce with DTE's Roxanne Avent and former NBA player Mitch Richmond, a business partner of Taylor.
Taylor also is planning a "Tales" movie every Halloween, including one called "Terminated," written with Thomas H. Fenton ("Saw IV"), that is intended for theatrical release this year. Taylor's other credits include the feature film "Chain Letter," starring Nikki Reed.
It'll be cool to have a different kind of tv show on now. They really needed to bring back a Tales From the Crypt type of show. Plus Flav's an awesome pick as the Crypt Keeper for this show cause he totally looks the part. lol
A party. A prank phone call game. A lunatic on the other end of the line.
What happens when the college students making these calls forget to dial *69, telling a mad man exactly who they are and where to find them? Soon the partying friends are trapped in a horrifying game of survival against someone hell-bent on ruining more than their night in a party house. Once the phone line goes dead, it’s too late to escape the fun and games this maniac has in mind.
Based on a true story, Dead Tone stars Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner), Jud Tylor (Charlie Wilson's War, That 70s Show) Antwon Tanner (One Tree Hill), Brian Hooks (Fools Gold, Eve).
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