STARZ SIGNS ACCLAIMED FILMMAKER DAVID MICHÔD TO DIRECT NEW ORIGINAL DRAMA SERIES "FLESH AND BONE"

"FLESH AND BONE" IS A NEW ORIGINAL BALLET DRAMA SERIES FROM EMMY(R) AWARD-WINNING WRITER MOIRA WALLEY-BECKETT

FILMING TO BEGIN IN NEW YORK IN THE SPRING 2014

Beverly Hills, Calif. - February 19, 2014 - STARZ announced today that acclaimed filmmaker David Michôd will direct the first episode of the new original drama series "Flesh and Bone." Michôd is known as both a writer and director and his debut feature film Animal Kingdom went on to win multiple awards, as well as Golden Globe(R) and Oscar(R) nominations. His next feature film, The Rover, which he wrote and directed, stars Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson.

"Flesh and Bone," was created by Emmy award-winning "Breaking Bad" Writer and Executive Producer, Moira Walley-Beckett and follows a young ballet dancer with a distinctly troubled past, as she joins a prestigious ballet company in New York. The dark and gritty series will unflinchingly explore the dysfunction and glamour of the ballet world.

"I'm entirely enamored of the visual, visceral, artful way David tells story," said creator Moira Walley-Beckett. "His style and sensibility is very much in alignment with my vision of my show."

Of Michôd, Carmi Zlotnik, managing Director of Starz says, "David is perhaps the most exciting filmmaker we've seen in quite some time. He is the kind of meticulous craftsman who has the eye to bring forth a character and create such a tension with the viewer that it is palpable. That is why we are so very excited he will be helping to establish the tone of 'Flesh and Bone.' Moira is writing such complex characters set against the backdrop of a world of beauty and grace, and David has a superb ability to convey this equally thrilling and poignant story."

Acclaimed dancer Sarah Hay (Black Swan) has been cast in the lead role, joining an already stellar cast of world-renowned dancers, including former American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Irina Dvorovenko and current soloist Sascha Radetsky, along with Ballet Arizona company dancer Raychel Diane Weiner and Emily Tyra ("Boardwalk Empire"). Royal New Zealand Ballet artistic director and world renowned former American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Ethan Stiefel will be the series choreographer.The series will be executive produced by Ms. Walley-Beckett and Starz, along with Executive Producers Lawrence Bender (Oscar nominated for Inglourious Basterds, Pulp Fiction and Good Will Hunting), Kevin Brown ("Roswell") and John Melfi ("Sex and the City," "House of Cards," "Nurse Jackie," "Rome"). Bender, Brown and Walley-Beckett all have connections to the world of ballet, which brought them together with Starz on this project. Bender and Walley-Beckett are former ballet dancers, and Brown's family is made up entirely of former ballet dancers, and their story was the basis for the Oscar-nominated film, The Turning Point.

Michôd is represented by United Talent Agency, by Cameron Cresswell in Australia and by attorney Alan Wertheimer.

Production is scheduled to begin in New York City in spring 2014. "Flesh and Bone" will debut on STARZ in 2015.

Starz will retain all domestic and international multiplatform rights including television, home entertainment, and digital.

David Michôd

In January 2010, David Michôd's debut feature film Animal Kingdom won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival where it was picked up by Sony Pictures Classics. Animal Kingdom was named Best First Film by the New York Film Critics Circle and earned Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for supporting actress Jacki Weaver, who also went on to win Best Supporting Actress awards from the Los Angeles and San Francisco film critics associations and the National Board of Review. In its home country, the film won 10 Australian Film Institute awards including Best Film, Best Direction and Best Original Screenplay, from a record 18 nominations.

Michôd co-wrote Hesher with director Spencer Susser, a feature starring Joseph Gordon Levitt and Natalie Portman that screened in Sundance 2010's US competition.

The documentary Solo (which he co-directed with Jen Peedom), about Andrew McAuley's ill-fated attempt to kayak from Australia to New Zealand, received best documentary awards from the Australian Film Institute in 2009, and the Film Critics Circle of Australia and Australian Directors Guild in 2010.

Michôd's short films Netherland Dwarf and Crossbow have screened at the Venice, Berlin and Sundance Film Festivals, winning numerous awards around the world.

Most recently he completed post production on his new feature film, The Rover, starring Rob Pattinson and Guy Pearce and set for a summer 2014 release across the US through a24.

He is a graduate of the University of Melbourne and Victorian College of the Arts School of Film & Television, and was the editor of Australia'sInside Film magazine between 2003 and 2006.

Moira Walley-Beckett Bio

As a Co-Executive Producer on "Breaking Bad," Moira Walley-Beckett recently received a PGA Award and a Golden Globe Award(R) and won a Primetime Emmy(R) in 2013 for Outstanding Drama Series. Previously, she was nominated for a 2013 Golden Globe Award(R), two PGA Awards, a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series in 2012, and for the WGA Award for Outstanding Drama Series in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 (and currently) 2014, resulting in wins in 2012 and 2013 for her work on "Breaking Bad." Ms. Walley-Beckett was also nominated for a PEN LITERARY award in 2010 for her episode of "Breaking Bad" entitled "Over."

About Starz

Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA, STRZB) is a leading integrated global media and entertainment company with operating units that provide premium subscription video programming on domestic U.S. pay television channels (Starz Networks), global content distribution (Starz Distribution) and animated television and movie production (Starz Animation), www.starz.com.

Starz Networks is a leading provider of premium subscription video programming through the flagship STARZ(R) and ENCORE(R) pay TV networks which showcase premium original programming and movies to U.S. multichannel video distributors, including cable operators, satellite television providers, and telecommunications companies. As of September 30, 2013, STARZ and ENCORE serve a combined 57.0 million subscribers, including 22.0 million at STARZ, and 35.0 million at ENCORE, making them the largest pair of premium flagship channels in the U.S. STARZ(R) and ENCORE(R), along with Starz Networks' third network MOVIEPLEX(R), air more than 1,000 movies monthly across 17 linear networks, complemented by On Demand and authenticated online offerings through STARZ PLAY, ENCORE PLAY, and MOVIEPLEX PLAY. Starz Distribution develops, produces and acquires entertainment content, distributing it to consumers globally on DVD, digital formats and traditional television. Starz Distribution's home video, digital media and worldwide distribution business units distribute original programming content produced by Starz, as well as entertainment content for itself and third parties. Starz Animation produces animated TV and movie content for studios, networks, distributors and audiences worldwide.