Mary & George Premiere Date and Trailer Released by STARZ

Alongside Tony Curran as King James I and Academy Award-winner Julianne Moore as Mary Villiers, Nicholas Galitzine takes a different approach to royal life as George Villiers on STARZ’s Mary & George.

The seductive two-minute trailer for the seven-part limited series inspired by Benjamin Woolley’s nonfiction book The King’s Assassin starkly contrasts with Galitzine’s turn as Prince Henry on Prime Video’s Red, White & Royal Blue. (Interestingly, Henry mentions George Villiers in Casey McQuiston’s book.)

“Inspired by the scandalous true story of a treacherous mother and son who schemed, seduced, and killed to conquer the Court of England and the bed of King James,” Mary & George premieres on Friday, April 5, at midnight on the STARZ app. Linearly, the show debuts at 9/8c in the US and 10/9c in Canada. 

Moore’s Mary is the Countess of Buckingham in 17th century England who molds her beautiful son, George, to seduce King James I and become his all-powerful lover. Mary & George‘s trailer presents social status as Mary’s motivation. “I do not own my home. My children are unwed. We have nothing,” she says.

As the trailer showcases, the mother/son duo’s scheming aids them in rising from humble beginnings to being “one of the richest, most titled and influential players the English court had ever seen, and the King’s most trusted advisors,” per the show’s synopsis.

Galitzine’s George is described as “a naïve romantic” who wants to “prove to himself that he can be defined by more than just his beauty and make his mark on history.” He may do just that because,

Mary describes the King as “so cock-struck, it’s like a curse,” but Mary & George‘s official synopsis describes Curran’s character as one “whose desire to be loved and subservient to ambitious and beautiful young men, makes him dangerously at risk of being exploited by tyrannical lovers to the likes of Mary & George.”

Mary & George also stars Nicola Walker as Lady Hatton, Niamh Algar as Sandie, Trine Dyrholm as Queen Anne, Sean Gilder as Sir Thomas Compton, Adrian Rawlins as Sir Edward Coke, Mark O’Halloran as Sir Francis Bacon, Laurie Davidson as Earl of Somerset, and Samuel Blenkin as Prince Charles.

The limited series’s ensemble also includes Jacob McCarthy as Kit Villiers, Tom Victor as John Villiers, Alice Grant as Susan Villiers, Amelia Gething as Frances Coke, Mirren Mack as Katherine Villiers, Rina Mahoney as Laura Ashcattle, and Simon Russell Beale as George Villiers.

Produced by Hera Pictures in association with Sky Studios (for which the show will premiere on Tuesday, March 5), Mary & George is written by D.C. Moore. Liza Marshall executive produces for Hera Pictures alongside D.C. Moore, Oliver Hermanus, and Julianne Moore.

Hermanus also helms the series as lead director, with Alex Winckler and Florian Cossen as additional directors. Sam Hoyle executive produces for Sky Studios.

Watch the Mary & George trailer:

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Mary & George premieres on Friday, April 5, at 9/8c on STARZ.

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