Starz has ordered 13 half-hour episodes of the television series “The Girlfriend Experience” from Transactional Pictures and executive producers Steven Soderbergh and Philip Fleishman.
Based on Soderbergh’s 2009 film of the same name, “The Girlfriend Experience” will be a 13-part anthology written and directed by independent filmmakers Lodge Kerrigan, who has directed episodes of “The Killing,” “The Americans,” and “Bates Motel,” among others, and Amy Seimetz, a writer, producer and actress best known for being a series regular on “The Killing” and her recurring role on HBO’s “Family Tree.” Kerrigan and Seimetz will also serve as executive producers.
The series will explore the world of modern courtesans — the prostitutes, concubines or mistresses of powerful or high-ranking men — and how they provide their clients with more than just sex. Their relationships can become intimate, romantic, with the women become the men’s confidantes in many cases.
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“We are all such fans of the movie that the idea of exploring this world through many different characters, voices and points of view was especially intriguing,” Starz’s CEO Chris Albrecht said in a statement. “Steven and Philip’s approach to the format is unique and not something seen on the entertainment landscape today. Working with Steven is always a thrill, and we are excited to break the mold with this project yet again.”
Soderbergh, an Emmy and Oscar-winning director, explained how the anthology will be produced:
“When Philip floated the idea of a ‘Girlfriend Experience’-inspired television show, I thought: ‘Let’s make it a different woman in a different city, let’s pair two independent writer/directors, one male and one female, and let them do the whole thing.’ I’ve known Lodge for 20 years and I became a fan of Amy’s when I saw her first feature last summer. We went to Chris Albrecht because he and I have been trying to find something to do together since we did “K Street” 11 years ago. He responded without hesitation to both the idea of the show and the approach.”
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“The Girlfriend Experience” feature film screened at the Sundance Film Festival. Transactional Pictures licensed the rights to the film from owner Magnolia Pictures. Starz will retain all domestic multiplatform pay TV rights and serve as the worldwide distributor of all other rights to the series.
Anonymous Content, Michael Sugar and Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Adler & Feldman represent Soderbergh. Alan Abrams, at Coste, Abrams & Coat, LLP rep Fleishman. WME reps Kerrigan. WME and One Entertainment rep Seimetz.