Starz Plots Dangerous Liaisons, More The Girlfriend Experience

A third installment of Steven Soderbergh’s limited series The Girlfriend Experience has been ordered by Starz, which is also working on an adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons and a Power spin-off that will star Mary J. Blige.

Inspired by the novel of the same name, the Starz Original series Dangerous Liaisons will tell the origin story of the early years of the iconic characters Merteuil and Valmont when they meet as passionate young lovers in the slums of 18th-century Paris. Written and reimagined by Harriet Warner (Tell Me Your Secrets, Call the Midwife), the story of seduction and betrayal will be told from the perspective of Merteuil.

Dangerous Liaisons is produced by Playground and Flame Ventures in association with Lionsgate Television. It will be available on Starz in the U.S. and Canada, as well as on the StarzPlay international streaming service via the Apple TV app in Europe and Latin America. The eight-episode season will also be available locally on StarzPlay in the U.K. via Prime Video Channels and Virgin Media, Germany and France via Prime Video Channels, and in Spain via Vodafone and Orange TV.

The third season of The Girlfriend Experience is set amid the London tech scene, where a young female neuroscientist begins to explore the transactional world of ‘the Girlfriend Experience,’ only to find herself deep inside the Uncanny Valley with the relationships she creates. Soderbergh (Ocean’s Eleven, Magic Mike, The Knick) and Philip Fleishman return as executive producers, with Jeff Cuban also serving as executive producer. Written and directed by Anja Marquardt (She’s Lost Control), the ten-episode scripted anthology series is a Transactional Pictures of NY LP Production in association with Populist Pictures and Magnolia Pictures.

The Power sequel, Power Book II: Ghost, will be headlined by the Grammy winner and Oscar-nominated star Mary J. Blige (Mudbound, The Umbrella Academy). Blige signed an exclusive first-look television deal with Lionsgate in June to develop and produce TV series under her newly launched Blue Butterfly productions.

The sixth season of Power will be broadcast in two parts; the ten-episode Part I will debut on August 25, and Part II, which will consist of the final five episodes, will debut in January. Starz will also air Power Confidential, an exclusive companion piece to the series.