RUSSELL HORNSBY, STEVE HARRIS AND KASH DOLL ANNOUNCED AS FIRST MEMBERS OF STARZ'S "BLACK MAFIA FAMILY"

FROM EXECUTIVE PRODUCER CURTIS "50 CENT" JACKSON AND PRODUCED BY G-UNIT FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCTION COMPANY IN ASSOCIATION WITH STARZ AND LIONSGATE TELEVISION, THE SERIES BEGINS FILMING IN ATLANTA AND DETROIT IN 2021

Santa Monica, Calif - - Starz announced today that Russell Hornsby (Fences, The Hate U Give) and Steve Harris ("The Practice," Diary of a Mad Black Woman) have been cast as series regulars in the STARZ Original series "Black Mafia Family," from executive producer Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson ("Power," "Power Book II: Ghost," "For Life"), and writer, executive producer and Detroit native Randy Huggins ("Star," "Rebel," "Power"). Entertainer Arkeisha "Kash Doll" Knight, a Detroit native as well, has also joined the cast in a recurring role. "Black Mafia Family" is produced through Jackson's G-Unit Film and Television in association with Starz and Lionsgate Television.

"Black Mafia Family" is inspired by the true story of two brothers who rose from the decaying streets of southwest Detroit in the late 1980's and gave birth to one of the most influential crime families in this country. Demetrius "Big Meech" Flenory's charismatic leadership, Terry "Southwest T" Flenory's business acumen and the fraternal partnership's vision beyond the drug trade and into the world of Hip Hop would render the brothers iconic on a global level. Their unwavering belief in family loyalty would be the cornerstone of their partnership and the crux of their eventual estrangement. This is a story about love, kinship and capitalism in the pursuit of the American dream.

Russell Hornsby plays Charles Flenory, the principled patriarch of the Flenory family and a struggling musician who uses faith, fortitude and humor to keep his family on the straight and narrow as he tries to save Terry from the outsized ambition and influence of his older brother Demetrius.

Emmy(R)-Award nominee Steve Harris plays Detective Bryant, a 20-year veteran of the Detroit Police Department, who has a longstanding relationship with Demetrius Flenory. When Detective Bryant gets assigned to the Down River Area Narcotics Operation - a real life, county-wide assault team on all local drug operations - he is put in direct conflict with Demetrius. Bryant will be forced to choose between his career and his loyalty.

Arkeisha "Kash Doll" Knight plays Monique, a paralegal for the biggest defense attorney in Detroit and a strong single mom determined to give her daughter a better life. When it comes to being a parent, she's a practical provider. But away from work and home Monique is creative, adventurous, and one of Demetrius Flenory's lovers. But Meech and Monique's relationship is much more than just sex and pillow talk: Monique's firm represents some of the biggest drug dealers in the city, which gives Meech and Terry an advantage in their rise through the streets.

The series begins filming in Atlanta and Detroit in 2021.Terri Kopp, Anthony Wilson and Anne Clements also serve as executive producers on the series.

Senior Vice President of Original Programming Kathryn Tyus-Adair is the executive overseeing "Black Mafia Family" on behalf of Starz. Erin Conroy is the executive overseeing the series on behalf of Lionsgate.

Starz (www.starz.com), a Lionsgate company (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B), is the global media company taking the lead in streaming premium content that spotlights a spectrum of women both in front and behind the camera for audiences worldwide. Starz is home to the flagship domestic STARZ(R) service, including STARZ ENCORE, 17 premium pay TV channels and the associated on-demand and online services, as well as the proprietary and highly-rated STARZ app. In 2018, Starz launched its Starzplay international premium streaming platform and, coupled with its Starz Play Arabia venture, has since expanded its global footprint into 50 countries throughout Europe, Latin America, Canada, Japan and India. The essential complement to any subscription platform, STARZ and Starzplay are available across digital OTT platforms and multichannel video distributors, including cable operators, satellite television providers, and telecommunications companies around the world. 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.