Mary & George is an early contender for the hottest show of 2024. Starz dropped the first trailer for the period drama, in addition to announcing the Mary & George release date, on Thursday, February 1, and the trailer couldn’t be sexier if it tried.
The audacious psychodrama stars Oscar-winner Julianne Moore and Nicholas Galitzine as the titular mother-son duo. The seven-part limited series is inspired by the scandalous true story of a treacherous mother and son who schemed, seduced, and killed to conquer the Court of England and the bed of King James I. Mary & George will premiere on Friday, April 5 at 9/8c on the Starz network. The series premiere will be available at midnight on April 5 on the Starz streaming app.
Moore plays Mary Villiers, Countess of Buckingham, who in 17th century England molded her beautiful son, George, to seduce King James I and become his all-powerful lover. Through outrageous scheming, the pair rose from humble beginnings to become one of the richest, most titled and influential players the English court had ever seen, and the King’s most trusted advisors.
Galitzine plays her son, George Villiers, a naïve romantic who alongside his ruthless mother was prepared to stop at nothing to get to the top and prove to himself that he can be defined by more than just his beauty and make his mark on history. Tony Curran plays King James I, whose desire to be loved and subservient to ambitious and beautiful young men makes him dangerously at risk of being exploited by tyrannical lovers to the likes of Mary and George.
In the Mary & George trailer above, Moore’s Mary is fed up with her lot in life. She positions her son to be the “cock-struck” King James’ lover to help them rise through the ranks of the English court. George clearly succeeds in wooing the monarch, and people can’t stand it.
“I have the power, I have the king, I have England,” George seductively declares.
It’s not just George who takes a scandalous lover. Mary is seen in the throes of passion with a woman in court in the trailer. And as Mary’s influence grows, the court grows more critical of her. This woman is so hellbent on getting to the top, the cattiness and judgment from the court will only fuel her fire more.
Mary & George is produced by Hera Pictures in association with Sky Studios. The series is written by D.C. Moore, inspired by Benjamin Woolley’s nonfiction book The King’s Assassin. Liza Marshall is executive producer for Hera Pictures alongside D.C. Moore, Oliver Hermanus, and Julianne Moore. Hermanus also helms the series as lead director. Additional directors include Alex Winckler and International Emmy-Award winner Florian Cossen. Sam Hoyle serves as executive producer for Sky Studios.
Mary & George, Series Premiere, Friday, April 5, 9/8c, Starz, streaming at midnight on the Starz app