Starz announced today the company has greenlit The White Princess, the follow-up to the critically-acclaimed STARZ Original Miniseries event The White Queen, from Company Pictures. Adapted from Philippa Gregory’s best-selling novel of the same name and part of The Cousins’ War book series, The White Princess tells the story of England’s War of the Roses from the perspective of the women. The 8-episode limited series drama is currently in pre-production.
Acclaimed writer Emma Frost (The White Queen, The Man in the High Castle, Shameless) returns to serve as Showrunner and Executive Producer with Gregory serving as Executive Producer for The White Princess.
Lachlan MacKinnon (Burton and Taylor) will serve as Producer for the series. Playground’s Colin Callender (The White Queen, The Dresser, The Missing, Wolf Hall) will serve as Executive Producer with Company Pictures’ Michele Buck (Parades End, Sex Traffic, Hornblower).
The White Princess concludes the story of England’s War of the Roses and charts the rise of the House of Tudor through the tortuous marriage between Princess Elizabeth of York and King Henry Tudor. The year is 1485 and Princess Elizabeth, daughter of “The White Queen,” has been pledged in marriage to the newly anointed King Henry Tudor in hopes that it will bring peace to a war torn country. England is united, but their marriage is soon divided, as rumors circulate that Elizabeth’s long-lost brother Prince Richard is alive and planning to take the throne. Now she must choose between Tudor wife and York princess, between her new husband and the boy who claims to be her own blood and the true heir to the crown.
“’The White Queen’ was a phenomenal performer at Starz, averaging 4.8 million multiplatform viewers per episode in the United States*,” said Carmi Zlotnik, Managing Director for Starz. “There is a dearth of programming that tells women’s stories and ‘The White Queen’ was embraced with great success by audiences worldwide. The passionate fanbase for Philippa Gregory’s historical novels are undeniable and we are confident ‘The White Princess’ will become the next must-see fandom drama series.”
The White Queen was the first STARZ Original series to attract more women than men viewers with women making up 55 percent of the viewership. The White Queen also consistently ranked in the Top 10 cable shows for each premiere night.
The White Queen received a 2014 Golden Globe nomination for Best TV Movie or Mini-Series with Rebecca Ferguson and Janet McTeer each receiving Golden Globe nominations in the Best Actress in a TV Movie or Miniseries category and the Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Mini-Series or TV Movie category, respectively.
The White Queen also received several Emmy nominations in 2014 for Outstanding Mini Series; Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special; Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries or a Movie; and Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Original Dramatic Score).
The year is 1485 and Henry Tudor is king, having snatched the crown from Richard III in a surprise victory at the Battle of Bosworth. Elizabeth of York, “The White Princess,” is faced with marrying Henry, the man who has just killed her lover. While Elizabeth’s mother Dowager Queen Elizabeth, “The White Queen,” encourages her to marry to preserve the York claim of title and ensure her family’s safety, Henry’s mother Margaret Beaufort detests the idea, but knows it is the only way for her son to stay on the throne and unify a country divided by war.
In the court of Burgundy, the Duchess rules over a new enemy stronghold for disenfranchised Yorkists and all of Henry Tudor’s enemies. It is from here that a Pretender is mustering an army. He claims to be brother to the Queen, and the true heir to the throne. But is he the missing prince from the tower sent by his mother, the White Queen? Or a counterfeit prince – a low-born enemy to Henry Tudor and his York princess wife?
Princess Elizabeth must choose between Tudor wife and York princess – between her new husband and baby son, and the boy who claims to be her beloved lost brother. Has the rose of York come home at last and at what cost to her?
The White Princess tells the story of one of the most fascinating periods of British history, spanning the winter court of Henry Tudor – uniquely from the women’s point of view. The most ruthless players in history will stop at nothing to support their own causes and those of the ones they love.
The White Princess will film on location in Bristol, UK and will air on STARZ in 2017.
