Starz Announces Limited Series ‘Howards End’

Starz, with the BBC, will co-produce the limited series “Howards End,” based on the classic E.M. Forster novel from screenwriter and playwright Kenneth Lonergan (“Manchester by the Sea,” “Gangs of New York”). Executive produced by Playground in association with City Entertainment and KippSter Entertainment, this four-part limited series explores the changing landscape of social and class divisions in turn of the century England through the prism of three families: the intellectual and idealistic Schlegels, the wealthy Wilcoxes from the world of business, and the working class Basts. Hettie Macdonald (“White Girl”) will direct the four hour-long episodes that will air on BBC One in the UK and Starz in the U.S.

The cast will include Hayley Atwell (“Marvel’s Agent Carter”) as Margaret Schlegel, Matthew Macfadyen (“Ripper Street,” “The Last Kingdom,” “MI-5”) as Henry Wilcox, and Tracey Ullman (“The Tracey Ullman Show”) as Aunt Juley Mund.

Playground’s Colin Callender (“Wolf Hall”), City Entertainment’s Joshua D. Maurer (Papillon) and Alixandre Witlin (“The Last Tycoon”), and KippSter Entertainment’s David A. Stern (“The Last Tycoon”) will executive produce along with Playground’s Sophie Gardiner (“Eureka Street”) and Scott Huff (“The Missing”) and Lucy Richer for the BBC. Laura Hastings-Smith (Hunger) is producing.