Starz Media Worldwide Distribution Will Bring Exclusive First Look of Upcoming STARZ Original Series, "Magic City," to MIPCOM

BURBANK, Calif., Aug. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Starz Media Worldwide Distribution lead executive, Gene George, announced that the exclusive, never-before-seen footage from the upcoming STARZ Original series, "Magic City," will be brought to MIPCOM.  MIPCOM runs from October 3-6 in Cannes, France.

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The highly-anticipated original series will debut exclusively in the United States on STARZ in April 2012 and is available for global licensing and syndication through Starz Media Worldwide Distribution. Starz owns all rights to the series, including television, home video, and digital rights – both domestic and international.

The Starz Media Worldwide Distribution booth will be located on the MIPCOM show floor at RSV25.

Set in Miami Beach in 1959, "Magic City" stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Olga Kurylenko, Danny Huston, Steven Strait, Christian Cooke and Jessica Marais. "Magic City" was conceived by writer-director-producer Mitch Glazer (The Recruit, Scrooged), who grew up in the glamorous, ominous world of late '50's Miami Beach.  He serves as Executive Producer on the project along with Media Talent Group's CEO, Geyer Kosinski ("Going to California," "Hope & Faith," Beyond Borders), Co-Executive Producer Ed Bianchi ("The Killing," "Deadwood"), and Producer Dwayne Shattuck ("Mad Men").

"We are very pleased to bring an exclusive look of 'Magic City' to our many broadcast partners at MIPCOM," added George. "This will surely be the most exciting STARZ Original series available for international licensing since 'Spartacus,' and will have terrific appeal across the globe. We have an especially strong slate of programming for MIPCOM and look forward to expanding our partnerships around the globe with this truly exciting content."

In addition to "Magic City," Starz Media Worldwide Distribution will showcase at MIPCOM the "Spartacus" franchise with "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena," and exciting promotional footage from the upcoming new season -"Spartacus: Vengeance" - launching in the U.S. in January 2012.  Also on the slate will be the animated series "Dan Vs.," and the family-friendly features, "A Christmas Wedding Tail" and "The Dog Who Saved Halloween."  

About "Magic City"
Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen, "Grey's Anatomy," the upcoming Dibbuk Box) portrays Ike Evans, the cool, visionary force behind Miami Beach's newest hotel and a man with dangerous secrets; Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace, Max Payne) as Ike's wife, Vera, a former showgirl who is deeply loyal to her husband and family; and Danny Huston (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Clash of the Titans, "John Adams"), as Ben Diamond, Miami's most dangerous mobster.

The cast also stars Jessica Marais (Australia's "Packed to the Rafters," "Legend of the Seeker") as Ben's beautiful, caged wife, Lily; Steven Strait (10,000 B.C., City Island), as Ike's eldest son, Stevie;  Christian Cooke (Cemetery Junction, "Demons") as Danny, Ike's innocent, hard-working younger son; Dominik Garcia Lorido (City Island, The Lost City) as Mercedes, a maid in the Miramar Playa who has grown up with the Evans family in the shadow of the hotel; and Elena Satine (Just Go With It) as Judi, a platinum blonde escort who works out of the Miramar Playa and helps Ike out from time to time.

Rounding out the stellar "Magic City" cast are Kelly Lynch (Passion Play, Drugstore Cowboy), Michael Rispoli (The Taking of Pelham 123, The Weather Man), Oscar-nominated actor Seymour Cassel (Rushmore, "Crash"), and Yul Vazquez (The A-Team, American Gangster).

As Frank Sinatra rings in a new year in the grand ballroom of Miami Beach's most luxurious dream palace – the Miramar Playa – its visionary leader, Ike Evans, must deal with the mob, his complicated family and a city in the midst of dramatic change as Fidel Castro takes control of Cuba, just 200 miles offshore. By day the hotel at the center of "Magic City" is all diving clown acts and cha-cha lessons by the pool, but at night Miami Beach reveals a darker truth.  

About Starz Media
Starz Media, LLC, is a programming production and distribution company operating worldwide. It includes the Anchor Bay Entertainment, Anchor Bay Films, Film Roman and Manga Entertainment brands. Its units create animated and live-action programming and programming created under contract for other media companies. It distributes that content, and programming acquired from outside producers, through home video retailers, broadcasters, ad-supported and premium television channels, and Internet and wireless video distributors in the US and internationally. Starz Media (www.starzmedia.com) is a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation attributed to the Liberty Starz tracking stock group.

About Starz Entertainment
Starz Entertainment, LLC, is a premium movie and original programming entertainment service provider operating in the United States. The company offers 17 premium channels including the flagship STARZ® and ENCORE® brands with approximately 19 million and 32.9 million subscribers respectively.  Starz Entertainment airs in total more than 1,000 movies and original series every month across its pay TV channels. Starz Entertainment is recognized as a pay TV leader in providing HD, On Demand, HD On Demand and online advanced services for its STARZ, ENCORE and MOVIEPLEX brands.  Starz Entertainment (www.starz.com) is an operating unit of Starz, LLC, which is a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation and is attributed to the Liberty Starz tracking stock group.

Contact:

Eric Becker
Starz
(720) 852-4065
[email protected]

SOURCE Starz Media Worldwide Distribution