Canada’s Muse Entertainment Expands Into the U.S.

MONTREAL, November 28:
Independent Canadian film and television production and distribution company,
Muse Entertainment Enterprises, has announced that it will open a U.S. office
in Los Angeles, which will be headed up by executive producer Joel S. Rice as
president.

As president of Muse
Entertainment Enterprises USA, Rice will be tasked with developing projects
with American television and cable networks in the areas of TV movies, TV
series, family programming and reality programming.

Rice has executive
produced more than 25 movies, including The Note (airing on Hallmark Channel on December 8), Shredderman
Rules (Nickelodeon), Recipe for
a Perfect Christmas (Lifetime) and
About Sarah (CBS/P&G). Rice
also had production deals at CBS and NBC.

Partnering with Rice in
the reality programming field will be executive producer Richard Joel (Heads
or Tails, The Inn Crowd).

Since its founding nine
years ago, Muse Entertainment has worked from its Canadian base with various
U.S. networks and creative teams on projects like Human Trafficking (Lifetime), Tales from the Neverending Story (Hallmark), Ice Bound (CBS), and the company’s current theatrical
feature, The Deal, with William
H. Macy and Meg Ryan.

“The time has come for us
to have a strong presence in the vital L.A. market,” said Michael Prupas, Muse
Entertainment president and CEO. “We are now ready, with the addition of Rice,
to expand those relationships, particularly in the current climate where
networks have to stretch dollars. We want to become the go-to-company that can
provide the networks and independents with the best quality co-production
opportunities.”

—By Irene Lew