Starz‘s hottest new show is coming this spring. Mary & George stars Oscar-winner Julianne Moore and Nicholas Galitzine as the titular, treacherous mother and son who schemed, seduced, and killed to conquer the Court of England and the bed of King James I.
The series is inspired by the unbelievable true story of Mary Villiers, who moulded her beautiful and charismatic son, George, to seduce King James VI of Scotland and I of England (Tony Curran) and become his all-powerful lover. Through outrageous scheming, Mary and George rose from humble beginnings to become the richest, most titled and influential players the English court had ever seen, and the King’s most trusted advisors. And with England’s place on the world stage under threat from a Spanish invasion and rioters taking to the streets to denounce the King, the stakes could not have been higher.
The seduction begins in the new posters released by Starz on January 17, and they feature steamy shots of Galitzine and Curran, who will play the scandalous lovers, and the scheming Moore as Mary Villiers, Countess of Buckingham. Galitzine’s George is described as a naïve romantic, who alongside his ruthless mother was prepared to stop at nothing to get to the top.
“The Mother” and “The Schemer” are Moore’s labels. “The Son” and “The Seducer” are Galitzine’s. “The King” and “The Prize” are Curran’s. If that didn’t catch your attention, the episodic photos in the gallery below will. The stunning costume and production design of this juicy, audacious historical psychodrama provide a glimpse into the intrigue to come when it debuts on Starz this spring (an exact release date will be announced at a later time).
Rounding out the Mary & George cast are Nicola Walker, Niamh Algar, Trine Dyrholm, Sean Gilder, Adrian Rawlins, Mark O’Halloran, Laurie Davidson, Samuel Blenkin, Jacob McCarthy, Tom Victor, Alice Grant, Amelia Gething, Mirren Mack, Rina Mahoney, and Simon Russell Beale.
The series is produced by Hera Pictures in association with Sky Studios.It’s written by D.C. Moore (Killing Eve, Temple), 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. Sam Hoyle serves as executive producer for Sky Studios.
See the new portraits and episodic images in the gallery below.
Mary & George, Series Premiere, TBA, Starz