Yahoo Movies Courteney Cox, Greg Kinnear, Mira Sorvino Horror Comedy ‘Shining Vale’ Ordered to Series at Starz
The horror comedy “Shining Vale” starring Courteney Cox, Greg Kinnear, and Mira Sorvino has been ordered to series at Starz, Variety has learned.
The half-hour show had originally been picked up to pilot back in 2019. The premium cabler has given the series an eight-episode order. The series also also stars Merrin Dungey, Gus Birney, and Dylan Gage.
More from Variety
Starz Partners With AWD To Create Inclusive Directing Opportunities
Samantha Morton to Star as Catherine de Medici in Starz Series 'Serpent Queen'
“Shining Vale” is about a dysfunctional family that moves from the city to a small town into a house in which terrible atrocities have taken place. But no one seems to notice except for Patricia “Pat” Phelps (Cox), who’s convinced she’s either depressed or possessed – turns out, the symptoms are exactly the same. Pat s a former “wild child” who rose to fame by writing a raunchy, drug-and-alcohol-soaked women’s empowerment novel (a.k.a. lady porn). Fast forward 17 years later, Pat is clean and sober but totally unfulfilled. She still hasn’t written her second novel, she can’t remember the last time she had sex with her husband, Terry (Kinnear), and her teenage kids Gaynor (Birney) and Jake (Gage) are at that stage where they want you dead. She was a faithful wife until her one slip-up: she had a torrid affair with the hot, young handyman who came over to fix the sink while Terry was at work. In a last-ditch effort to save their marriage, she and Terry cash in all their savings and move the family move from the “crazy” of the city to a large, old house in the suburbs that has a storied past of its own. Everyone has their demons, but for Pat Phelps, they may be real.
Sorvino plays Rosemary, who is either Pat’s alter ego, a split personality, her id, her muse, or a demon trying to possess her. Dungey plays Kam, Pat’s oldest friend and book editor.
“‘Shining Vale’ is a smart, chilling and funny series that tells the story of a family in turmoil who is suddenly living with a paranormal who helps Courteney Cox’s character get her groove back as she starts to question her own sanity,” said Christina Davis, Starz’s president of original programming. “This group of talented actors, executive producers and director blends comedy and horror brilliantly throughout this series which exemplifies the network’s commitment to improve female representation on and off the screen.”
“Shining Vale” is written and executive produced by Jeff Astrof, with Astrof and Sharon Horgan having written the story. Astrof executive produces under his Other Shoe Productions banner, while Horgan and Clelia Mountford executive produce for Merman. Aaron Kaplan and Dana Honor of Kapital Entertainment also executive produce. Dearbhla Walsh directed and executive produced the pilot. Cox will serve as a producer in addition to starring. Warner Bros. Television and Lionsgate Television will produce. Senior vice president of original programming Juan Alfonso is the Starz executive in charge of “Shining Vale.”
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
