STARZ GREENLIGHTS DRAMA SERIES "THE VENERY OF SAMANTHA BIRD" STARRING KATHERINE LANGFORD

ORDERS EIGHT EPISODES OF PACESETTER PRODUCTIONS' PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER

Santa Monica, Calif - STARZ has green-lit the drama series "The Venery of Samantha Bird." Katherine Langford ("Knives Out," "13 Reasons Why" ) will lead the eight-episode drama in the title role of Samantha.

The series is created by Anna Moriarty, who also serves as executive producer. Salvatore Stabile ("Waco") is showrunner and executive producer. Jessica Rhoades ("Station Eleven," "Sharp Objects") executive produces through her Pacesetter Productions shingle, with Rachel Polan serving as co-executive producer. Jessica Yu ("Fosse/Verdon," "Billions") is consulting producer.

"'The Venery of Samantha Bird' is the perfect complement to our slate of provocative, immersive storytelling that leans into the female gaze," said Kathryn Busby, President of Original Programming, STARZ. "Katherine is an incredible talent who will bring this modern romance of addictive love to life."

Visiting family in New England, Samantha Bird reconnects with her childhood sweetheart and falls headlong into a seemingly perfect storybook romance. But underneath their fever dream lurks a more unsettling interpretation of this affair. "The Venery of Samantha Bird" is a haunting portrayal of addictive love and the repercussions that a relationship has on the families in a small New England town.

Australian actress Katherine Langford garnered global recognition and critical acclaim as 'Hannah Baker' in Netflix's original series "13 Reasons Why," which became a worldwide phenomenon shortly after its March 2017 release. Following her outstanding breakout performance, Langford was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Drama. That same year, she received the prestigious Screen Australia Breakthrough Award from Australians in Film. In 2019, she was part of the critically acclaimed Lionsgate mystery thriller "Knives Out," which won a Hollywood Critics Association Award for Best Cast. Her other film credits also include roles in 20th Century Fox's Love, Simon, and Paramount Pictures' Spontaneous, for which she received a Critics' Choice Award nomination. She also returned to Netflix in July 2020, as the lead in "Cursed," a fresh re-imagination of the familiar King Arthur and the Sword legend. Langford currently stars in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) six-part Australian crime drama, "Savage River." Langford's full bio can be found here.

Karen Bailey, Executive Vice President of Original Programming, is the executive overseeing "The Venery of Samantha Bird" for STARZ, and Max Elins is overseeing for Lionsgate. The series is produced by Lionsgate Television and Paramount Television Studios.

About STARZ

STARZ (www.starz.com), a Lionsgate company, is a leading global media streaming platform committed to delivering premium content that amplifies narratives by, about and for women and underrepresented audiences. STARZ is home to the highly rated and first-of-its-kind STARZ app that offers the ability to stream or download STARZ premium content, as well as the flagship domestic STARZ(R) service, including STARZ ENCORE, 17 premium pay TV channels, and the associated on-demand and online services. In 2018, STARZ launched its international premium streaming platform STARZPLAY, now LIONSGATE+, to provide subscribers access to bold, curated storytelling. LIONSGATE+, coupled with the STARZPLAY ARABIA joint venture in MENA and Lionsgate Play in South and Southeast Asia, has a footprint that extends across the globe. STARZ and LIONSGATE+ are available across digital OTT platforms and multichannel video distributors, including cable operators, satellite television providers, and telecommunications companies around the world. In February 2021, STARZ launched #TakeTheLead, a multi-faceted and innovative inclusion initiative expanding its existing efforts to improve representation on screen, behind the camera and throughout the company.

About Lionsgate

Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) encompasses world-class motion picture and television studio operations aligned with the STARZ premium global subscription platform to bring a unique and varied portfolio of entertainment to consumers around the world. The Company's film, television, subscription and location-based entertainment businesses are backed by a 17,000-title library and a valuable collection of iconic film and television franchises. A digital age company driven by its entrepreneurial culture and commitment to innovation, the Lionsgate brand is synonymous with bold, original, relatable entertainment for audiences worldwide.

**About Paramount Television Studios **

Paramount Television Studios is a leading content studio, developing and financing a wide range of cutting-edge and entertaining television programs across all media platforms for distribution worldwide. The studio's robust slate includes THE OFFER (Paramount+), GREASE: RISE OF THE PINK LADIES (Paramount+), FATAL ATTRACTION (Paramount+), AMERICAN GIGOLO (Showtime), "STATION ELEVEN" (HBO Max), "SHANTARAM" (Apple TV+), "TIME BANDITS" (Apple TV+), "DEFENDING JACOB" (Apple TV+), "HOME BEFORE DARK" (Apple TV+), Tom Clancy's "JACK RYAN" (Prime Video), "REACHER" (Prime Video), "DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY" (Hulu), "BEFORE" (Apple TV+), "THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES" (Disney+), "JOE PICKETT" (Spectrum Originals), "THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR" (Netflix) and "THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE" (Netflix), among others. Paramount Television Studios is a subsidiary of Paramount (NASDAQ: PARA; PARAA), a global content company with premier television, film and digital entertainment brands.