StarzPlay gets in on The Act

Lionsgate-backed SVoD service StarzPlay has acquired the rights to Hulu’s true-crime anthology series The Act in the UK, Germany and Spain.

The Act stars Patricia Arquette (right) and Joey King

The eight-part series will be made available to local viewers on StarzPlay in the UK via Amazon’s Prime Video Channels and Virgin Media, in Germany via Prime Video Channels and in Spain via Vodafone and Orange TV.

The Act stars Academy Award-winner Patricia Arquette, Joey King, Chloë Sevigny and AnnaSophia Robb and is based on the 2016 BuzzFeed article ‘Dee Dee Wanted Her Daughter To Be Sick, Gypsy Wanted Her Mom Murdered’ by Michelle Dean.

It follows Gypsy Blanchard (King), a girl trying to escape the toxic relationship she has with her overprotective mother Dee Dee (Arquette). Her quest for independence opens a Pandora’s box of secrets that ultimately lead to murder.

It comes from Universal Content Productions, while Nick Antosca (Channel Zero) and Dean serve as co-creators and executive producers, with Greg Shephard and Britton Rizzio also serving as executive producers.

It joins other acquired series such as Castle Rock and Harlots, along with a selection of exclusive Starz originals including Now Apocalypse and The Spanish Princess, on the service, alongside movies like The Big Short.