New SHOWTIME Drama Series From Executive Producers John Logan and Sam Mendes To Premiere in 2014

Los Angeles, CA (July 30, 2013) – Film stars Josh Hartnett (Black Hawk Down) and Eva Green (Casino Royale) are the first stars to sign on to the hotly-anticipated SHOWTIME® drama series, PENNY DREADFUL, which will begin filming this fall for a 2014 premiere on the network. Hartnett will take on the role of ‘Ethan Chandler,’ a charming American who finds himself trapped in the darkest corners of Victorian London, while Green will play ‘Vanessa Ives,’ a seductive and formidable beauty full of secrets and danger.

PENNY DREADFUL is a frightening psychological thriller created, written and executive produced by three-time Oscar® nominee John Logan (Hugo, The Aviator, Gladiator) and executive produced by Logan's Desert Wolf Productions, along with Oscar winner Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Skyfall) and Neal Street's Pippa Harris (Revolutionary Road, Call The Midwife). Of the eight episodes, the first two, will be directed by Juan Antonio Bayona, who helmed The Orphanage and the acclaimed film, The Impossible starring Naomi Watts in her Oscar-nominated performance.

Actor and producer Josh Hartnett has starred in a wide range of blockbuster and indie films. He is best known to fans worldwide for his star turn opposite Ben Affleck as ‘Capt. Danny Walker’ in Michael Bay’s blockbuster film Pearl Harbor, followed by O, 40 Days and 40 Nights, and Hollywood Homicide. He made his film debut in Halloween H20:20 Years Later, followed in quick succession by The Faculty and Sofia Coppola’s The Virgin Suicides. On television, he played ‘Michael Fitzgerald’ on the television series Cracker: Mind Over Murder and later returned to film in a string of memorable performances in Black Hawk Down, Wicker Park, Sin City, Lucky Number Slevin and The Black Dahlia. He was also named one of People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People” in 2002.

While best known for playing the lethal Bond Girl ‘Vesper Lynd’ opposite Daniel Craig's James Bond in the worldwide blockbuster Casino Royale, French actress Eva Green made her debut and earned acclaim in 2003 for her work in Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Dreamers. She starred opposite Orlando Bloom and Liam Neeson in the hit film Kingdom of Heaven, and played ‘Morgan’ in the epic mini-series Camelot. Most recently, she starred with Johnny Depp in Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows. She will soon be seen in the Sin City prequel, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, opposite Josh Brolin and Mickey Rourke, and as ‘Artemesia’ in 300: Rise of an Empire. Additional film credits include Cracks, Perfect Sense, Womb and His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, FLIX ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND, and the network's authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

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CONTACT:
Morgan Fouch                                                
Showtime Networks
(310) 234- 5219                                                         
morgan.fouch@showtime.net

Morgan Fouch
SHO Entertainment PR
310 234 5219 / morgan.fouch@showtime.net