Looks like Andrew Jackson ("Per'sus" on Stargate SG1) will be cast as "Commander Lihan Vhail".
Here is a letter just received from the writers of Armada: Icon for distribution:
"We at Iconium Entertainment, as creators of the sci-fi/action TV series, Armada: Icon,
wanted to take a moment and clarify a couple of things.
First, although the trailer that’s on YouTube is illustrated, Armada: Icon is a live-action
show. We used storyboards for the trailer to generate a preliminary “look†and “feelâ€
of the show for the industry people who are viewing it.
But for you sci-fi devotees, we felt you deserved a closer, more detailed peek into the
story and some of the characters. In doing just that, we hope you will become fans of
the show.
In essence, Armada: Icon is the story of Jake Ryder and his journey from square-jawed
starship captain to embittered widower to unwilling savior of the known galaxy. More
than that, however, Armada: Icon asks this central question: does destiny control the
course of our lives? No matter how hard we struggle, are we doomed to a certain path
in life? Or does free will mean true freedom? If we alter our decisions, we can change
our future? Ryder believes so. In fact, for most of the 105 episodes of this
“novel-on-TV,†Ryder not only rejects the prophecies about him – he actively avoids
them. He refuses to bow to his “destiny,†believing people make their own way by the
decisions they make.
The show is set near the end of 22nd century, some sixty years after human beings
were invited to be a part of a vast interstellar government called the Panoply. Mankind’s
entry onto the galactic stage was not an auspicious one: first a Solar-system-wide civil
war, then a devastating attack by a race of slavers called the Silith in which the Panoply
had to intervene. These events have given humans a reputation for being backward
and barbaric, and have spawned resentment and discrimination among the other races.
Also, the Panoply is not alone – a myriad of races and governments span the known
galaxy. Some, like the A’daan or the Symposium of Sentient Species, are reclusive and
restrained, opting for exploration and discovery rather than war. Others, like the Ziash
Empire, seek constant expansion and exploitation.
In the pilot, “We Fall to Rise, Baffled,†Ryder starts as a loving husband and father who
has overcome the bigotry and discrimination of the other races to rise to the command
of, arguably, the most powerful spacecraft in the known galaxy. Then he loses his wife
and daughter in a seemingly random act of violence. While still dealing with his grief he
overreacts and nearly causes an interstellar war. The political fallout gets him demoted
and reassigned. On top of that, he learns the A’daan believe he is destined to be the
savior of the galaxy. Hell, he can barely find a reason to get out of bed, let alone save
the civilization from “the coming darknessâ€! Yet he does – at the last possible moment
– rise up and accept his fate, saving civilization from annihilation, but in a way no one
could have foretold.
A pivotal character in Ryder’s reluctant transformation is Commander Lihan Vhail,
Ryder’s Executive Officer aboard the Icon. Played by the talented Andrew Jackson,
whose powerful presence on-screen is perfect as Vhail, Ryder’s burr-under-the-collar.
As one of the ancient, enigmatic, and arrogant A’daan, Vhail believes Ryder is “the Oneâ€
who will save the galaxy. He does everything he can to force Ryder into that role. Of
course, Ryder rebels against that, creating a friction between them that really never gets
resolved.
Vhail, too, has his own character arc. Youthful and impetuous for the largely reserved
A’daan, Vhail will ultimately find himself in the role of leader of the remnant of his people,
and must learn to carry the burdens of responsibility. He will have to learn to think, rather
than act.
As life-long fans and students of science-fiction ourselves, we believe Armada: Icon
stands on the shoulders of the giants. We’ve taken the best parts of the successes of the
past and combined them in unique ways to bring out something completely new, while
still relying on the essentials of the genre. With the diversity and intrigue of Babylon 5,
and the gritty, almost too-intimate perspective of the recent Battlestar Galactica, and from
the judicious use of leitmotifs in the score to set moods, to the imaginative use of lighting
to manipulate perception, we will attempt to not only satisfy, but also surprise and delight.
Yet, while the gadgets and the battles and the special effects will impress you, the story
will captivate you. Even the issues addressed in the show – bigotry, religious persecution
and expediency over morality – only provide a backdrop. It’s the complex, flawed characters
struggling to make sense of those issues, trying to survive, to find love and happiness and
belonging that will grip your imagination.
Witness the success of shows like Fringe or Heroes: it’s the characters and their interaction
with each other, their reactions to the circumstances around them, that make these shows
compelling. Yet, too, in the morally-muddled-ethically-challenged times we live in, we all are
searching for clarity like never before. Look at Lord of the Rings, or all the comic book
movies. Or Smallville, Flash Forward, even 24. We want to know the hero will do the right
thing – despite his foibles, his mistakes, his doubts and fears. The downfall of Heroes began
when they refused to give us a clear victory. The show was a wonderful, honest portrait of
normal people in extraordinary situations, giving us good guys and bad guys and guys in
between. But instead of heroes eventually rising up to stand against evil, it turned into a
melodrama of petty people doing petty things.
Armada: Icon doesn’t make those mistakes. Our characters are flawed, yes. Their
motivations are often muddled, their agendas selfish. They make horrible mistakes and
pay heavily for them. In the end, however, they overcome every obstacle – even their
own – and make a stand, sometimes making the ultimate sacrifice, to do what they know
is right.
We are working diligently, unstintingly toward the achievement of these lofty goals. We
believe our efforts will pay off by enthralling you, turning you into loyal, involved fans.
And in the end, ensuring Armada’s iconic place in popular culture.
Thanks for your time,
The team at Iconium"
This is all subject to the producers contracting with American & Overseas TV Networks. Meetings
are now being held with senior TV executives in the USA.
The writers have set-up a website to help promote this potential SciFi TV series with the general
public: Link: http://armadatv.ning.com/forum
Here is a letter just received from the writers of Armada: Icon for distribution:
"We at Iconium Entertainment, as creators of the sci-fi/action TV series, Armada: Icon,
wanted to take a moment and clarify a couple of things.
First, although the trailer that’s on YouTube is illustrated, Armada: Icon is a live-action
show. We used storyboards for the trailer to generate a preliminary “look†and “feelâ€
of the show for the industry people who are viewing it.
But for you sci-fi devotees, we felt you deserved a closer, more detailed peek into the
story and some of the characters. In doing just that, we hope you will become fans of
the show.
In essence, Armada: Icon is the story of Jake Ryder and his journey from square-jawed
starship captain to embittered widower to unwilling savior of the known galaxy. More
than that, however, Armada: Icon asks this central question: does destiny control the
course of our lives? No matter how hard we struggle, are we doomed to a certain path
in life? Or does free will mean true freedom? If we alter our decisions, we can change
our future? Ryder believes so. In fact, for most of the 105 episodes of this
“novel-on-TV,†Ryder not only rejects the prophecies about him – he actively avoids
them. He refuses to bow to his “destiny,†believing people make their own way by the
decisions they make.
The show is set near the end of 22nd century, some sixty years after human beings
were invited to be a part of a vast interstellar government called the Panoply. Mankind’s
entry onto the galactic stage was not an auspicious one: first a Solar-system-wide civil
war, then a devastating attack by a race of slavers called the Silith in which the Panoply
had to intervene. These events have given humans a reputation for being backward
and barbaric, and have spawned resentment and discrimination among the other races.
Also, the Panoply is not alone – a myriad of races and governments span the known
galaxy. Some, like the A’daan or the Symposium of Sentient Species, are reclusive and
restrained, opting for exploration and discovery rather than war. Others, like the Ziash
Empire, seek constant expansion and exploitation.
In the pilot, “We Fall to Rise, Baffled,†Ryder starts as a loving husband and father who
has overcome the bigotry and discrimination of the other races to rise to the command
of, arguably, the most powerful spacecraft in the known galaxy. Then he loses his wife
and daughter in a seemingly random act of violence. While still dealing with his grief he
overreacts and nearly causes an interstellar war. The political fallout gets him demoted
and reassigned. On top of that, he learns the A’daan believe he is destined to be the
savior of the galaxy. Hell, he can barely find a reason to get out of bed, let alone save
the civilization from “the coming darknessâ€! Yet he does – at the last possible moment
– rise up and accept his fate, saving civilization from annihilation, but in a way no one
could have foretold.
A pivotal character in Ryder’s reluctant transformation is Commander Lihan Vhail,
Ryder’s Executive Officer aboard the Icon. Played by the talented Andrew Jackson,
whose powerful presence on-screen is perfect as Vhail, Ryder’s burr-under-the-collar.
As one of the ancient, enigmatic, and arrogant A’daan, Vhail believes Ryder is “the Oneâ€
who will save the galaxy. He does everything he can to force Ryder into that role. Of
course, Ryder rebels against that, creating a friction between them that really never gets
resolved.
Vhail, too, has his own character arc. Youthful and impetuous for the largely reserved
A’daan, Vhail will ultimately find himself in the role of leader of the remnant of his people,
and must learn to carry the burdens of responsibility. He will have to learn to think, rather
than act.
As life-long fans and students of science-fiction ourselves, we believe Armada: Icon
stands on the shoulders of the giants. We’ve taken the best parts of the successes of the
past and combined them in unique ways to bring out something completely new, while
still relying on the essentials of the genre. With the diversity and intrigue of Babylon 5,
and the gritty, almost too-intimate perspective of the recent Battlestar Galactica, and from
the judicious use of leitmotifs in the score to set moods, to the imaginative use of lighting
to manipulate perception, we will attempt to not only satisfy, but also surprise and delight.
Yet, while the gadgets and the battles and the special effects will impress you, the story
will captivate you. Even the issues addressed in the show – bigotry, religious persecution
and expediency over morality – only provide a backdrop. It’s the complex, flawed characters
struggling to make sense of those issues, trying to survive, to find love and happiness and
belonging that will grip your imagination.
Witness the success of shows like Fringe or Heroes: it’s the characters and their interaction
with each other, their reactions to the circumstances around them, that make these shows
compelling. Yet, too, in the morally-muddled-ethically-challenged times we live in, we all are
searching for clarity like never before. Look at Lord of the Rings, or all the comic book
movies. Or Smallville, Flash Forward, even 24. We want to know the hero will do the right
thing – despite his foibles, his mistakes, his doubts and fears. The downfall of Heroes began
when they refused to give us a clear victory. The show was a wonderful, honest portrait of
normal people in extraordinary situations, giving us good guys and bad guys and guys in
between. But instead of heroes eventually rising up to stand against evil, it turned into a
melodrama of petty people doing petty things.
Armada: Icon doesn’t make those mistakes. Our characters are flawed, yes. Their
motivations are often muddled, their agendas selfish. They make horrible mistakes and
pay heavily for them. In the end, however, they overcome every obstacle – even their
own – and make a stand, sometimes making the ultimate sacrifice, to do what they know
is right.
We are working diligently, unstintingly toward the achievement of these lofty goals. We
believe our efforts will pay off by enthralling you, turning you into loyal, involved fans.
And in the end, ensuring Armada’s iconic place in popular culture.
Thanks for your time,
The team at Iconium"
This is all subject to the producers contracting with American & Overseas TV Networks. Meetings
are now being held with senior TV executives in the USA.
The writers have set-up a website to help promote this potential SciFi TV series with the general
public: Link: http://armadatv.ning.com/forum