MUMBAI: Oscar winning actor Nicolas Cage (Leaving Las Vegas) will enter the television arena. He will executive produce The Dresden Files for US broadcaster Sci Fi Channel.

The two-hour backdoor pilot will be produced by Lions Gate Television, in association with Cage's Saturn Films. Based on the best-selling series of novels by Jim Butcher, the pilot, written by Hans Beimler (The District), and Robert Wolfe (The 4400) tells the story of Harry Dresden, a Chicago-based private detective with extraordinary abilities.

Where others see typical crimes of assault, kidnapping and murder, Harry sees otherworldly forces at work. He's a wizard, the real thing, the only wizard listed in the Chicago yellow pages. Whether consulting for the police on inexplicable crimes or following his own cases, Dresden does battle with the forces of darkness, always maintaining a wry sense of humor and a unique perspective on our world.

Cage is the latest in a growing list of Hollywood elite to join forces with SCI Fi. This December, the channel will premiere The Triangle which has been executive produced by director Bryan Singer (X-Men) and producer Dean Devlin (Independence Day). The broadcaster is also currently developing projects with Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Frank Darabont.