Starz Acquires Six Titles Including Geena Davis’ This Changes Everything Documentary and Series “In The Long Run” Created by and Featuring Idris Elba
Santa Monica, Calif. – October 3, 2019 – Starz, a Lionsgate company (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B), today announced the recent acquisition of six titles including the documentary This Changes Everything from executive producer, Academy Award®-winning actor and gender equality advocate Geena Davis, slated to air on STARZ and available for download or streaming via the STARZ app in December.
The documentary uncovers one of the most confounding dilemmas in the entertainment industry – the underrepresentation and misrepresentation of women told first-hand by some of Hollywood’s top talent behind and in front of the camera. Leading voices interviewed in the documentary include Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Anita Hill and STARZ Original series “Power” creator, co-showrunner and executive producer Courtney A. Kemp, among others.
“I’m thrilled to see This Changes Everything coming to nationwide audiences on STARZ later this year,” said Davis. “This documentary eloquently makes the case for the need to improve gender balance, diversity and inclusion onscreen and behind the scenes. It’s important that industry leaders and the public are aware of the impact the media has as we rally together toward the goal of gender equality.”
In addition to This Changes Everything, Starz also acquired The River and the Walldocumentary about five friends who embark on a 1,200-mile journey down the Rio Grande to document the US-Mexico border before construction of a wall, learning how it would impact immigration, wildlife, culture and landowners.
Idris Elba’s (Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, “Turn Up Charlie”) family comedy “In the Long Run,” inspired by his experience growing up in east London in the 80’s, will premiere exclusively on STARZ in November.
“This series is a semi-autobiographical comedy that tackles stereotypes and racial divisions while having a laugh about it,” said Elba. “There’s a genuineness to this story with which I hope audiences engage and connect.”
The Professor and the Madman, Stockholm and My Days of Mercy will also be available this fall for download or streaming via the STARZ app, which offers subscribers access to more than 7,500 selections including STARZ Originals “Power,” “The Spanish Princess,” “Outlander,” “Vida,” among others, along with critically-acclaimed blockbuster movies.
Series premiere dates and descriptions below:
The Professor and the Madman – October 5, 2019
The Professor and the Madman tells the unbelievable true story of a murderer confined to an insane asylum and his unlikely bond with a brilliant Oxford professor. Drawn together by the fine line between madness and genius, these remarkable men form an unbreakable friendship in pursuit of changing the course of history. Academy Award® winners Sean Penn and Mel Gibson star with Natalie Dormer and Steve Coogan.
The River and the Wall – October 21, 2019
Conservation filmmaker Ben Masters, NatGeo Explorer Filipe DeAndrade, ornithologist Heather Mackey, river guide Austin Alvarado and conservationist Jay Kleberg document the borderlands and explore the potential impacts of a wall on the natural environment. They come face-to-face with the human side of the immigration debate and enter uncharted emotional waters as the wilderness gives way to the more populated and heavily trafficked Lower Rio Grande Valley.
“In the Long Run” Season 1 – November 1, 2019
“In the Long Run” Season 2 – December 6, 2019
“In the Long Run” Xmas Special – December 20, 2019
Loosely based on actor-writer Idris Elba’s childhood, the series examines the lives of the Easmon family living in London in 1985, led by factory worker Walter (Idris Elba) whose home is turned upside down when his party-loving, responsibility-challenged DJ younger brother arrives from Sierra Leone.
Stockholm – December 14, 2019
Based on the absurd but true 1973 bank heist and hostage crisis in which hostages bonded with their captors, giving rise to the term “Stockholm Syndrome,” Stockholm focuses on the relationship between a bank teller and her captor, an unhinged U.S. outlaw, as they try to escape together. A Tribeca Film Festival premiere, Stockholm stars Academy Award® nominee Ethan Hawke, Noomi Rapace and Mark Strong.
This Changes Everything – December 16, 2019
A Toronto International Film Festival premiere, This Changes Everything takes an incisive look at the history, empirical evidence, and systemic forces that foster gender discrimination and reinforce disparity in our culture. Most importantly, the film seeks pathways and solutions from within and outside the industry. The doc features interviews with Geena Davis, Meryl Streep, Natalie Portman, Taraji P. Henson, Reese Witherspoon, Cate Blanchett, Jill Soloway, Shonda Rhimes, Yara Shahidi, Chloe Moretz, Amandla Stenberg, Alan Alda, Sandra Oh, Tiffany Haddish, Anita Hill, Jessica Chastain, Rose McGowan, Judd Apatow, Rosario Dawson and Courtney A. Kemp.
My Days of Mercy– December 27, 2019
After a female activist (Ellen Page) protesting the death penalty befriends a woman (Kate Mara) with opposing views, they begin a passionate relationship that tests their beliefs and their values. My Days of Mercy also premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Photo Assets available here.
About Starz
Starz (www.starz.com), a Lionsgate company (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B), is a leading global media and entertainment company that produces and distributes premium streaming content to worldwide audiences across subscription television platforms. Starz is home to the flagship domestic STARZ® brand, STARZ ENCORE, 17 premium pay TV channels and the associated on-demand and online services, including the highly-rated STARZ app. With the launch of the STARZPLAY international premium streaming platform and STARZ PLAY Arabia, Starz is expanding its global footprint in a growing number of territories. Sold through multichannel video distributors, including cable operators, satellite television providers, telecommunications companies, and other online and digital platforms, Starz offers subscribers more than 7,500 distinct premium television episodes and feature films, including STARZ Original series, first-run movies and other popular programming.
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Press Contact:
Michelle Portillo
Starz
(720) 852-4063
michelle.portillo@starz.com
