Julianne Moore Joins New Sky & AMC Drama

Academy Award- and BAFTA-winning actor Julianne Moore (Still Alice, Far From Heaven) is set to star in the new Sky original and AMC Networks drama Mary & George.

Written by DC Moore (Killing Eve, Temple), Mary & George is based on the true story of Mary Villiers, who molded her son to seduce King James I and become his lover. Through her scheming, the pair rose from humble beginnings to become the richest, most titled mother and son in England.

The series is produced by Hera Pictures in association with Sky Studios. It is inspired by the nonfiction book The King’s Assassin by Benjamin Woolley. Oliver Hermanus (Moffie, Living) is lead director.

The series is set to begin filming in early 2023 and will debut later in the year. It will air on AMC, Sky Atlantic and NOW. AMC Networks holds exclusive distribution in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and India, while NBCUniversal Global Distribution is handling international sales on behalf of Sky Studios.

“Mary Villiers was a woman who, through her own actions, rose to become a powerful and influential figure in Jacobean London,” Julianne Moore said. “It’s a daunting but exhilarating challenge to bring her to life on screen.”

Liza Marshall, executive producer for Hera Pictures, said, “The incredible Julianne Moore is our dream casting for Mary—a woman who was damned by her contemporaries but was always the smartest person in the room. Indomitable women like Mary have too often been written out of history, but with DC Moore’s brilliant scripts and Oliver Hermanus at the helm, we will reclaim her story to make a truly unique, unmissable show.”

DC Moore added, “Since I first read about Mary Villiers’ life—and all she achieved with her son, George—I’ve been obsessed with bringing this story to the screen. Between King James’ often-overlooked love and lust for men, Mary’s extraordinary rise as a woman in a man’s world, and George’s (many, many) sexual and political conquests, this is a profoundly rich and as yet entirely untold on-screen story about a pair of ‘commoners’ who conquered all before them.”

Meghan Lyvers, director of original drama, U.K., at Sky Studios, said, “Mary Villiers is one of the most fascinating, complex and extraordinary figures in British history and we cannot wait to see Julianne Moore take on this role, bringing Mary’s story to new audiences around the world. We are thrilled to partner with Oliver Hermanus, DC Moore, Liza Marshall and the team at Hera Pictures as we embark on this series which signifies a renewed ambition for Sky original drama.”

“An intriguing, cunning, mastermind of a character such as Mary Villers fits right in with AMC Networks’ most iconic characters,” said Dan McDermott, president of original programming for AMC Networks and AMC Studios. “We’re elated to welcome the unmatched Julianne Moore to AMC as she expertly leads us through Mary & George’s captivating journey and to partner with DC and the teams at Hera Pictures and Sky Studios.”