Sky TV's sci-fi channel, The Zone, has announced its first-ever local co-production, AFK, a 12-part fantasy webseries which follows the adventures of six gamers trapped inside their characters’ bodies in the world of an online RPG (Role Playing Game).
Created by local writer-director Peter Haynes, AFK was entirely written, filmed and produced right here in New Zealand with local actors and crew who have all volunteered their time and skills.
“It’s basically The Lord of the Rings meets Battle Royale meets The Breakfast Club, with a distinctly Kiwi flavour," Mr Haynes says.
AFK (messaging slag for "away from keyboard") sees a group of disparate individuals – including an Elvish ranger, a wizard, a warrior, a gnome and an orc - forced to work together in a new land with no rules and no multiple lives - only the fittest, strongest and most cunning will survive.
The series will screen on The Zone from October 28 before being made freely available online.
It stars Mia Pistorius (Spartacus: War of the Damned, Wonderland), Calum Gittins (The King’s Speech, Lord of the Rings: Two Towers), JJ Fong (Go Girls), Grae Burton (Shortland Street), Ravi Narayan (The Hobbit) and Dallas Barnett (The Hobbit).
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NZ-made fantasy series to premiere on Sky then show free on web
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