DINOTOPIA is coming to ABC

The ABC network, which is owned by The Walt Disney Co., has ordered a
six-hour miniseries based on the first two installments of James Gurney's
fantasy book series, DINOTOPIA which is about a world in which humans and
highly-evolved dinosaurs live together in harmony. With the exception of
Stephen King projects THE SHINING and STORM OF THE CENTURY, DINOTOPIA marks
ABC's biggest miniseries time commitment since 1988's 30-hour WAR AND
REMEMBRANCE which starred Robert Mitchum. Some sources estimate the cost at
$50 million, but ABC will not comment on the budget. The project will
depend on a mix of computer-generated effects and animatronics to bring
life to the multiple breeds of dinosaurs featured in Gurney's books.
Shooting is expected to take place in Australia, New Zealand, and
Mongolia's Gobi desert. Hallmark has purchased exclusive TV, motion
picture, theatrical and home video rights to the DINOTOPIA series. Sony
Imageworks had previously held the rights to the franchise. The first two
installments of the book series have already sold over two million copies
in 30 countries. HarperCollins will publish the third book in the series in
October. Recently, the books had been involved in controversy because of
several similarities between them and STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM
MENACE, although formal charges have not been made. Lucasfilm did do some
development work for an earlier, unrealized DINOTOPIA film.