Mary & George: Julianne Moore to star new Sky drama

Julianne Moore is to star in a brand new drama coming to Sky and NOW.

Mary & George is a new eight-part limited series based on the extraordinary true story of Mary Villiers.

The show is set to debut on AMC, Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW in 2023.

Julianne Moore (Still Alice, Far From Heaven) stars as Mary Villiers, who moulded her beautiful son, George, to seduce King James I and become his all-powerful lover.

A teaser shares: “Through outrageous scheming, the pair rose from humble beginnings to become the richest, most titled, and influential mother and son England had ever seen.”

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

Mary & George is produced by Hera Pictures in association with Sky Studios and is written by acclaimed playwright DC Moore (Killing Eve, Temple), inspired by the non-fiction book The King’s Assassin by Benjamin Woolley.

Further casting and release date for the series is to be announced.

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, Writer & Executive Producer commented: “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, UK 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.”