Starz to Air Camelot

LOS ANGELES/DUBLIN/TORONTO/LONDON: Starz has secured the rights to Camelot, from the creative team behind such hit series as The Tudors, Life on Mars and Torchwood, and plans to air the series with a 10-episode run in the first half of 2011.

Camelot will be based on Thomas Malory’s 15th-century book Le Morte d’Arthur. Ecosse Films and Octagon Films are to produce Camelot. Academy Award-winning producer Graham King (The Departed, Gangs of New York, The Aviator), along with Tim Headington and Craig Cegielski will serve as executive producers. Starz has all U.S. rights, including home entertainment and digital distribution, to Camelot; GK-TV will handle the rest of the world.

“The story of Arthur isn’t history, it’s mythology. And Camelot isn’t a place but an idea of hope that has resonated intensely at different times throughout history,” Starz’s president and CEO, Chris Albrecht, said. “The creative team has envisioned a highly entertaining and distinctly original TV program that fits in perfectly with our lineup, coming on the heels of our successful original series Spartacus: Blood and Sand and the returning comedy Party Down, along with our recent acquisition of the event series based on Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth.”

“GK-TV was started with the goal of producing compelling cinematic quality programming for television,” said Graham King. “The legend of King Arthur is a fascinating story that we couldn’t be more excited to have as our first television project.”

Added Craig Cegielski, the newly appointed GK-TV president, “Our goal for this project is to bring a fresh and contemporary take to one of the most classic medieval tales. In keeping with the GK-TV vision, we have assembled top level writers and producers to help tell the universal story of Camelot on a global scale.”

“I am excited to be part of this project not only because it is an amazing story, but it allows me to collaborate once again with Chris Albrecht,” said Morgan O’Sullivan. “Camelot is one of the greatest stories ever told and we are thrilled to be working with Starz and Graham King on such an ambitious production,” said Ecosse Films’ CEO, Douglass Rae.