BLYN — The extravagance of Hollywood is coming to the North Olympic Peninsula on Saturday.
A television-pilot launch party celebrating the initiation of the filming phase of “The Rainforest” is set from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at 7 Cedars Casino, 270756 U.S. Highway 101.
The event is open to the public. The casino is a 21-and-older venue. There will be no cover charge.
Filming for the pilot of “The Rainforest” is expected to begin in several North Olympic Peninsula locations in late summer or early fall, with dates to be announced during the launch party.
A TV pilot is a standalone episode of a series used to sell the show to networks for broadcast.
There will be introductions of the cast and crew, including Karolyn Grimes.
Grimes, 75, is famous for her role in the 1946 film “It’s A Wonderful Life,” starring Jimmy Stewart.
In the movie, Grimes portrays Zuzu Bailey, the little girl who says, “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.”
There will be a special musical appearance by singer-songwriter Melanie Dekker of Vancouver, Wash.
A private viewing of the series trailer also will be shown.
For more information, contact Judy Walz at 360-683-7777 or jwalz@7cedarsresort.com, or visit www.7cedarsresort.com.
Peninsula locations
Scott A. Capestany — the show’s creator, lead writer, executive producer and director — has spent the past few months finalizing locations in Port Townsend, Forks, Port Angeles, Sequim and at Lake Quinault.
Capestany is the founder of Capestany films. He has produced several TV series, including “Harbor Island,” “Northwest Waters TV” and “Island Getaways TV.”
Capestany Films is based in Seattle and has a satellite office in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Capestany met with Jamestown S’Klallam tribal leaders in May to flesh out an agreement in which the tribe will allow filming on reservation land and provide historic advisers to ensure authenticity in the pilot and the potential series to follow.
Capestany said he also will work with the Quileute tribe, the Rain Forest Resort Village at Lake Quinault, Lake Quinault School District and the Lake Quinault Lodge.
He also has been in talks with the Forest Service and National Park Service. Quinault Rain Forest is located in Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest.
Capestany began efforts to film a proof of concept or teaser for the show in January 2014. It can be viewed online at http://tinyurl.com/PDN-Teaser.
The pilot episode, to be filmed in high definition, follows a core group of characters drawn to the interior of the Quinault Rain Forest in the Olympic Mountains in search of ancient Native American artifacts and lore.
Lost civilization
The expedition is inspired when fictitious character Dr. Riley Stone, a professor at the University of Washington specializing in Native American history and archaeology, is tipped off by a teenage girl about a potential Native American legend hidden in the forest.
Along with billionaire financier and global explorer Devin Grace, Stone assembles a group of explorers and scientists to investigate an uncharted region of the forest rumored to contain ancient treasures of a lost civilization.
As the team sets out on the adventure, bizarre and unexplained events begin to unfold.
The structure of storytelling for the adventure drama will be similar to the popular ABC series “Lost,” Capestany has said.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-681-2390, ext. 5052, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.
