One of the most frequently asked questions about Spellbinder is whether there will be a sequel:
something like Spellbinder 3 or a Spellbinder movie. Though I can't answer that question with yes
or no, I can say this:
The chances are quite low, for a few reasons, so for those of you who hope, prepare for a negative
answer. One of the reasons is that Film Australia has stopped making drama programmes and now only
makes documentaries etc. Film Australia does own the copyrights for Spellbinder, so if another
TV-company would like to make a sequel, they would have to buy the rights from Film Australia,
and there isn't that much funds for children's TV programmes.
In Australia, commercial TV networks are obliged by law to create a certain number of hours of new
TV-programmes for children (ages 8 to 14). This makes it possible to get a budget for new series
like Spellbinder was, but also the budget is probably not big enough to buy copyright AND
to make a
new series. Also if there are enough programmes for children, TV networks won't be producing any
more, because the commercial market value for it is lower etc.
Finally, I should point out that Spellbinder II was created because Spellbinder I was so
successful. I believe that Spellbinder II wasn't that huge success, so they have probably
rejected the idea of making a sequel. Although I think that the concept of Spellbinder (similar to
that of 'Sliders' etc.) would be great to make a TV-series for all ages, I think most TV-producers
don't know/remember it.
I hope that this information can give a more clear view on the future of Spellbinder.
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