Alex Kalymnios (Scott and Bailey, Being Human) has signed on to direct episodes 4,5 and 6 of Starz’s original miniseries, The White Princess – the follow-up to acclaimed miniseries The White Queen.
Amy Manson (above left), Andrew Whipp (center) and Patrick Gibson (above right) have joined the cast as, respectively, Lady Catherine Gordon, Richard Pole and The Boy. Follow the jump for details.
ALEX KALYMNIOS ON BOARD TO DIRECT STARZ’ “THE WHITE PRINCESS”
Amy Manson, Andrew Whipp and Patrick Gibson Join Cast
Beverly Hills, Calif. – August 31, 2016 – Starz announced today that Alex Kalymnios (“Scott and Bailey,” “Becoming Human”) has joined the production to direct episodes of “The White Princess,” the follow-up to the Golden Globe® and Emmy® award-nominated STARZ Original Miniseries “The White Queen,” from Company Pictures and Playground.
Alex Kalymnios joins to direct episodes 4, 5 and 6 of “The White Princess,” having most recently directed “Scott and Bailey” for Red Productions. This year she has also directed “Salem” season 2 (WGN America) and the TV movie “Cleveland Abduction” (Lifetime). Previously Alex directed the BAFTA Cymru nominated “Becoming Human,” a teen spin off of “Being Human.” After gaining over 1.5 million views online the show received critical acclaim when it was broadcast on BBC3.
In casting news, Amy Manson (“Once Upon a Time,” “Being Human”), boards the production in the role of Lady Catherine Gordon, cousin to King James IV of Scotland. Catherine is the politically motivated love interest of “The Boy” – a young man who threatens to rupture the tentative peace bought by the marriage of Elizabeth of York and Henry VII by claiming to be Prince Richard of York, rightful heir to the throne and Elizabeth’s long lost brother. “The Boy” – played by Patrick Gibson (“The OA,” “The Passing Bells”) – finds support in the courts of Europe, giving new hope to a group of York loyalists led by the Duchess of Burgundy and Elizabeth Woodville – the Dowager Queen.
Andrew Whipp (“Outlander,” “Death in Paradise”) rounds out the cast as Richard Pole, supporter and former soldier of Henry VII, whose marriage to Elizabeth’s cousin Margaret Plantagenet (played by Rebecca Benson (“Game of Thrones,” Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth)) reinforces the alliance between the Houses of York and Lancaster under Tudor rule.
Previously announced cast includes newcomer Jacob Collins-Levy (“Glitch,” Holding the Man) in the role of Henry VII, the paranoid and unlikely king forced to marry an enemy to secure his throne; the equally unwilling Princess Elizabeth (played by Jodie Comer (“Doctor Foster,” “My Mad Fat Diary”)), daughter of the rival House of York; and Princess Elizabeth’s mother Elizabeth Woodville “The White Queen,” indomitable strategist and unwavering supporter of the York cause, played by Essie Davis (Babadook, “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries”). Joanne Whalley (“Wolf Hall,” “The Borgias”) plays the widowed Duchess of Burgundy, Elizabeth of York’s aunt, and sister to dead Kings Richard III and Edward IV of England – a sensual, intelligent York woman who presides over her cultured court across the English Channel. Michelle Fairley (“Game of Thrones,” “Rebellion”) is in the role of Margaret Beaufort, Henry VII’s mother who was a philanthropist, benefactor for the Church, and the calculating mastermind behind Henry’s ascent to the Throne of England. Suki Waterhouse (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Insurgent) has been cast as Cecily of York, the self-interested and jealous younger sister to Princess Elizabeth.
“The White Princess” is helmed by showrunner Emma Frost (“The White Queen,” “The Man in the High Castle,” “Shameless”), also on board as Executive Producer, alongside Producer and Director Jamie Payne (“Legends,” “Quantico”). (Lachlan MacKinnon (“Burton and Taylor”) is Producer for the series, with Gregory on board as Executive Producer on this adaptation of her novel. Playground’s Colin Callender (“The White Queen,” “The Dresser,” “Wolf Hall”) and Scott Huff will serve as Executive Producers with Company Pictures’ Michele Buck (“Parades End,” “Sex Traffic,” “Hornblower”).
About “The White Princess”
Adapted from Philippa Gregory’s best-selling novel of the same name and part of The Cousins’ War book series, “The White Princess” sees England ostensibly united by the marriage of Elizabeth of York and King Henry VII, but their personal and political rift runs deep and the divide between them threatens to tear the kingdom apart once again. Rumors circulate that Elizabeth’s long-lost brother Prince Richard is alive and planning to take the throne – forcing Elizabeth into an impossible choice between her new Tudor husband and the boy who could be her own blood and the rightful York King. “The White Princess” is a tale of power, family, love, and betrayal, which charts one of the most tumultuous times in British history uniquely from the point of view of the women waging the ongoing battle for the English throne.
“The White Princess” is filming on location in Bristol, UK and will air on STARZ in 2017. Starz retains all domestic and international multiplatform rights including television, home entertainment, and digital.