Smallscreen News

Pillars of the Earth brings Ian McShane back to telly, on Starz

By April MacIntyre Mar 3, 2010, 17:21 GMT

Ian McShane and wife Gwen Humble - © Albert L. Ortega / PR Photos

Starz is on a roll right now, with record viewership for the hot "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" and the upcoming new season of "Party Down."

Now, with ex HBO chieftain Chris Albrecht behind the scenes at the multi-channel network, Starz announces Ken Follett’s bestselling novel “The Pillars of the Earth” will grace the channel.

Starz will air the series, produced by Tandem Communications, MUSE Entertainment and Ridley and Scott Free Films (Tony Scott's production company), as a summer event.

The $40 million series was helmed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan and shot on location in Hungary and Austria.

The best news is that "Deadwood" and "Kings" fans can rejoice at the return of Ian McShane to our televisions.

Joining Ian is another fine UK thespian we miss from "Eleventh Hour," Rufus Sewell, and additionally Matthew Macfadyen, Eddie Redmayne, Hayley Atwell, Sarah Parish, Donald Sutherland, Alison Pill and Gordon Pinsent will fill out the cast.

“The Pillars of the Earth” is Chris Albrecht's first big deal since joining the company in January.

Starz plans to air the series this July, under the Starz Originals banner, kicking off with a two-hour premiere, followed by six one-hour episodes.

“I’m a believer in the power of event television, so ‘The Pillars of the Earth’ is precisely the kind of programming I want to showcase on Starz,” Albrecht says. “With a strong cast, stunning direction, a compelling story based on an international best-selling book and a terrific team of producers, ‘The Pillars of the Earth’ is set to be one of the must-watch programs this summer.”

“Ken Follett’s storytelling artistry presents a richness and brilliance we dream about when searching for outstanding properties for event television,“ says Ridley Scott of Scott Free.  “The eight-hour television adaptation of his monumental novel ‘The Pillars of the Earth‘  is everything we could have hoped for and we’re extremely happy that Starz will be presenting ‘Pillars‘ to a U.S. audience.”

“I am delighted with the series of “The Pillars of the Earth” — script, cast, direction, everything — and thrilled that it is going to be shown on Starz”, world-renowned author Ken Follett says.

“The Pillars of the Earth” premise:

A tale of good and evil, treachery and intrigue, violence and beauty, a sensuous, spirited story set against a backdrop of war, religious strife and power struggles in 12th Century England.

Background:

Ken Follett’s book, first published in 1989, has sold more than 14 million copies worldwide and been published in more than 30 languages. The 60th selection in Oprah Winfrey’s Book Club, the books sold upwards of 1.4 million copies in the U.S. the day after it was featured on her show in 2007.

Please visit the dedicated website: here