Syfy Begins Production on THE EXPANSE

Syfy and Alcon TV today announced the start of production for The Expanse, the new 10-episode epic space drama based on the international best-selling book series of the same name. Currently shooting in Toronto, Canada, The Expanse will premiere on Syfy in 2015.

The Expanse is a thriller set two hundred years in the future, after mankind has colonized the solar system. A hardened detective (Thomas Jane, Hung) and a ROGUE ship's captain (Steven Strait, Magic City) come together for what starts as the case of a missing young woman and evolves into a race across the solar system to expose the greatest conspiracy in human history.

Joining the cast as series regulars are Dominique Tipper (Vampire Academy), Cas Anvar (Olympus), Wes Chatham (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay) and Florence Faivre (Alpha House, The Following). Jonathan Banks (Community, Breaking Bad), Paulo Costanzo (Royal Pains), and Jay Hernandez (Nashville, Gang Related) will appear as guest stars throughout the series' first season.

Emmy winner and Oscar nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo (House of Saddam, House of Sand and Fog) was recently announced to play Chrisjen Avasarala, a member of a political family legacy.

Award-winning director Terry McDonough (Breaking Bad, Suits, Better Call Saul) will direct the first two episodes.

Academy Award-nominated screenwriting duo Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby (Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men, Iron Man) wrote the pilot and will continue to serve as writers as well as executive producers. Fergus and Ostby are showrunners alongside fellow executive producer Naren Shankar (CSI, Farscape).

The Expanse is financed and produced by Alcon Television Group (ATG), a division of Alcon Entertainment, and marks the company's first series order. Alcon co-founders and co-CEO's Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson will serve as executive producers with president of Alcon Television Sharon Hall. Alcon Television executive Ben Roberts will serve as co-producer.

Sean Daniel (Graceland, The Mummy) and Jason Brown of the Sean Daniel Company developed the original pitch as a direct-to-series project, with Fergus and Ostby. Daniel and Brown will executive produce. Ben Cook will serve as producer.

The series is based on the popular New York Times bestselling book series collectively known as The Expanse, written by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck (under the pen name James S. A. Corey). Abraham and Franck will be show producers.

The multi-installment, best-selling book series is published in 17 countries, including China, France, Japan, Australia, Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom. Book one in the series, "Leviathan Wakes," was nominated for a Hugo Award as well as a Locus Award, while the second novel, "Caliban's War" was nominated for a Locus Award.