FROM THE PRODUCER OF THE RECORD-BREAKING AND EMMY(R) AWARD-WINNING "HATFIELDS & MCCOYS"...

HISTORY ORDERS 8-HOUR TELEVISION EVENT "TEXAS RISING" (WORKING TITLE)

ALL-STAR CAST INCLUDES BILL PAXTON, BRENDAN FRASER, RAY LIOTTA, JEFFREY DEAN MORGAN, THOMAS JANE, OLIVIER MARTINEZ, CHAD MICHAEL MURRAY, MICHAEL RAPAPORT AND MAX THIERIOT

OSCAR(R) NOMINEE ROLAND JOFFÉ SET TO HELM

EVENT SERIES WILL DETAIL THE TEXAS REVOLUTION AND THE RISE OF THE LEGENDARY TEXAS RANGERS

New York, NY - March 12, 2014 - HISTORY has ordered the eight-hour television event TEXAS RISING (WT) from A+E Studios and ITV Studios America, produced by Thinkfactory Media with Leslie Greif (HATFIELDS & MCCOYS) serving as executive producer, it was announced today by Dirk Hoogstra, Executive Vice President and General Manager, HISTORY & H2. The event series, premiering in 2015, will detail the Texas Revolution against Mexico and the rise of the legendary Texas Rangers. Two-time Oscar-nominated director Roland Joffé (THE KILLING FIELDS, THE MISSION) is set to helm with an all-star cast including:

· Bill Paxton (TWO GUNS, EDGE OF TOMORROW, HATFIELDS & MCCOYS) as Sam Houston, the father of Texas.

· Brendan Fraser (THE MUMMY, JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH) as Billy Anderson, a Texas Ranger with Comanche Indian ties.

· Ray Liotta (GOODFELLAS, THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES) as Lorca, an Alamo survivor seeking brutal revenge.

· Jeffrey Dean Morgan (WATCHMEN, MAGIC CITY) as "Deaf" Smith, a deaf and grizzled veteran Texas Ranger with an advanced case of consumption.

· Thomas Jane (HUNG, 61) as James Wykoff, a homesteader who finds himself living in the middle of hostile Indian territory.

· Olivier Martinez (UNFAITHFUL, BEFORE NIGHT FALLS) as President General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, the tyrant dictator of Mexico.

· Chad Michael Murray (ONE TREE HILL, CHOSEN) as Mirabeau Lamar, a spirited Texas soldier who helps win the battle of San Jacinto.

· Michael Rapaport (JUSTIFIED, THE HEAT ) as Sgt. Ephraim Knowles, a would-be deserter and coward turned hero.

· Max Thieriot (BATES MOTEL, DISCONNECT) as Jack Hays, a volunteer freedom fighter who becomes the youngest Texas Ranger.

The network will announce additional star casting in the upcoming weeks.

"From HATFIELDS & MCCOYS to THE BIBLE to VIKINGS, HISTORY has made a major commitment to high-quality scripted historical dramas," said Hoogstra, "The Texas Revolution is one of the most gut-wrenching and inspirational events in our history. Doing the story justice will be a massive undertaking and we're excited to begin production with one of the best teams in the business."

"It's exciting to be back working with HISTORY and Bill Paxton, a team that made television history with HATFIELDS & MCCOYS," said Greif. "The battle for Texas independence was epic and really the battle for the future of America. We have Academy Award- and Emmy-nominated talent, a stellar ensemble cast is being set, and with this team, we will seek to even further redefine and elevate the term 'event television.'"

In 1836, if west of the Mississippi was considered the Wild West then Texas was hell on earth. Crushed from the outside by Mexican armadas and attacked from within by ferocious Comanche tribes - no one was safe. But this was a time of bravery, a time to die for what you believed in and a time to stand tall against the cruel rule of the Mexican General Santa Anna. From General Sam Houston, to rag tag Rangers to the legendary "Yellow Rose of Texas" - this is a story of the human spirit rising in the face of insurmountable odds and claiming a piece of history for all eternity.

TEXAS RISING is co-produced by A+E Studios and ITV Studios America, and produced by Thinkfactory Media for HISTORY. Leslie Greif serves as executive producer for Thinkfactory Media. Dirk Hoogstra, Elaine Frontain Bryant and Julian P. Hobbs serve as executives in charge of production for HISTORY.

About HISTORY(R)

HISTORY(R), now reaching more than 98 million homes, is the leading destination for award-winning original series and specials that connect viewers with history in an informative, immersive and entertaining manner across all platforms. The network's all-original programming slate, including scripted event programming, features a roster of hit series including American Pickers(R), American Restoration(TM), Ax Men(TM), Counting Cars(TM), Pawn Stars(R), Swamp People(R) and The Legend of Shelby the Swamp Man as well as HISTORY(R)'s first scripted series Vikings, and epic miniseries and special programming such as The Bible and the Emmy(R) Award-winning Hatfields & McCoys, Men Who Built America, Gettysburg, Vietnam in HD, America The Story of Us(R) and 102 Minutes That Changed America. The HISTORY(R) website is the leading online resource for all things history, and in 2011, the United States Library of Congress selected HISTORY(R)'s Civil War 150 site for inclusion in the historic collection of Internet materials related to the American Civil War sesquicentennial. www.history.com.

About A+E Studios

A+E Studios is the in-house production arm of the award-winning global media company A+E Networks, LLC. A+E Studios commissions, creates and co-produces content across all networks and platforms under the A+E Networks portfolio, including A&E(R) Network, Lifetime(R), HISTORY(R), LMN(R), FYI(TM), H2(TM) and A&E IndieFilms(R).

About Thinkfactory Media:

Thinkfactory Media is a full-service production company that creates high-quality entertainment content. Renowned for award-winning productions, the company was the driving force behind the Emmy(R) and Golden Globe(R)-nominated hit mini-series Hatfields & McCoys (History), starring Kevin Costner. Their provocative docu-series Preachers' Daughters season 2 is set to premiere on March 5 (Lifetime) and a new crop of notorious brides makes their debut on Marriage Boot Camp season 2 March 7 (We tv). They are currently in production on the third season of R&B Divas: Atlanta along with the second season of its spinoff series, R&B Divas: Los Angeles (TV One). In addition, they recently wrapped production on Marriage Bootcamp: Reality Stars (We tv). Other recent credits include: The Hook Up (MTV), The Great Santini Brothers (History), Spell-Mageddon (ABC Family), Prank My Mom (Lifetime), Gene Simmons: Family Jewels (A&E) and Tony Danza: Teach (A&E), among others. Find out more about Thinkfactory Media and its projects at www.ThinkfactoryMedia.com and follow them on Twitter at @TFactoryMedia.

About ITV Studios America:

ITV Studios America, the U.S. based production entity of ITV Studios in the UK, is one of the largest producers in the U.S. and a major force in acquiring, developing and producing reality and scripted programming for U.S. networks. It has a slate of series in production with major networks and syndicators, including Hell's Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, The First 48, After the First 48, Four Weddings, The Car Chasers, #RichKids of Beverly Hills, Cesar 911, The Chase, The Bill Cunningham Show and America Now.

Part of ITV PLC, which includes the UK's largest commercial broadcaster, ITV Studios is a global leader in television production and distribution. It has international production centers in the UK, Germany, France, the Nordics, Australia and America. In America the ITV Studios US Group business comprises of acquired companies, Gurney Productions, High Noon Entertainment, Thinkfactory Media and DiGa Vision. It also includes ITV Studios America, the flagship U.S production company. ITV Studios Global Entertainment (ITVS GE) is one of the world's leading international TV distribution, home entertainment, publishing, merchandising and licensing businesses. For further information visit: www.itvstudios.com/us