Premium US Network Strikes Deal with Banijay Rights
for Second Season from Producer Tiger Aspect
Download Domina Photos HERE
Photo Credit: © Antonello & Montesi
New York, NY – March 10, 2022 – Premium network EPIX® announced today that the historical drama Domina will return for an eight-episode second season. The series will be produced by Tiger Aspect, in association with EPIX Studios, following an agreement with leading global distributor Banijay Rights.
The epic, sweeping drama series takes place during one of the most provocative periods in Roman history, following the extraordinary rise of Gaius, Emperor Augustus Caesar’s third wife, Livia Drusilla, played by Kasia Smutniak (Perfetti Sconosciuti, Loro, Devils). Domina is scheduled to begin production this spring at the historic Cinecittà Studios in Rome and is scheduled to premiere on EPIX in 2023, with the second season also returning to Sky across Europe in 2023.
Domina season two chronicles the struggle for control of the Roman Empire, and of Rome’s Imperial Family from a rare female perspective. In its first season, Livia Drusilla, the golden girl of the prominent Claudii family returned to Rome after ten years in exile, determined to regain everything that was stolen from her. Now, atop a fractious empire, and a dysfunctional dynasty, she must fight to preserve her marriage to Gaius and find a way to seat one of her sons on the throne as new and old rivals jockey for position in a world where it’s impossible to know who to trust.
“The first season of Domina drove the largest total cross-platform audience average for any EPIX freshman series in 2021,” said EPIX President Michael Wright. “Audiences were drawn to the fresh vantage point of a period drama with a female-dominated perspective featuring a powerful performance by Kasia Smutniak who leads a strong ensemble cast. Season two promises viewers an even more compelling and exciting ride from Creator Simon Burke and Executive Producers Lucy Bedford, Muirinn Lane Kelly and Carmel Maloney.”
Matt Creasey, EVP Sales, Co-productions and Acquisitions, Banijay Rights, added, “Domina is an epic historical drama that portrays a different side of Ancient Rome – one that charts the rise of one of the most powerful women of the time. We’re delighted that Simon Burke’s powerful Roman family saga will return for a second season on EPIX with an ensemble cast and even more riveting plot line.”
Lucy Bedford, Head of Drama, Tiger Aspect and Executive Producer said; “We’re thrilled to be partnering with EPIX to return the extraordinary DOMINA to our screens. Season two will plunge us back into the intrigue and corruption of ancient Rome, as the indomitable Livia Drusilla fights to maintain her position in a world in which the quest for power is pursued at any cost. This time Livia’s hands will get very dirty, and the price will be higher than even she can imagine.”
Smutniak leads an international ensemble cast featuring Matthew McNulty (Misfits) as Gaius, Emperor Augustus; Claire Forlani (Meet Joe Black) as Octavia, Gaius’ sister; Christine Bottomley (The End of the F***ing World) as Scribonia, Gaius’ second wife and Livia’s mortal enemy; Ben Batt (Captain America: The First Avenger) as Agrippa, Gaius’ childhood friend, then general and later consul.
The series is created by Simon Burke (Fortitude, Strike Back), with Burke, Lucy Bedford, Muirinn Lane Kelly and Carmel Maloney as executive producers. EPIX has the U.S. rights, with the second season returning to Sky across Europe in 2023. Banijay Rights is the worldwide distributor.
About BANIJAY RIGHTS:
Leading independent global distributor, Banijay Rights, represents a world-class, multi-genre portfolio of over 120,000 hours of standout programming. Leading distribution for the largest international creator and producer, Banijay, the division handles the exploitation of some of the planet’s best scripted and non-scripted brands.
Representing quality, excellence and experience in the business of linear and non-linear television and ancillary activity across all platforms, Banijay Rights’ catalogue encompasses a host of top titles from Banijay’s 120+ in-house labels, and a number of third-party producers, spanning drama, comedy, entertainment, factual, reality, family, formats and theatrical.
Delivering high-quality IP, which was born locally and travels globally, the distributor offers the best stories told the best way. Its landmark brands include Survivor, Big Brother, MasterChef, Temptation Island, Grantchester, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Deal or No Deal, Versailles, Biggest Loser, Home and Away, Money Drop, Mr Bean and Black Mirror.
Built on independence, creative freedom, entrepreneurialism and commercial acumen, Banijay Rights operates under the direction of Chief Executive Officer, Cathy Payne.
About Tiger Aspect
Tiger Aspect Productions, part of Banijay UK, is internationally recognized as one of the UK’s most successful independent television producers. Producing high profile, scripted content for both UK and international audiences, current productions include Peaky Blinders (a coproduction with Caryn Mandabach Productions for BBC One), The Good Karma Hospital (ITV 1), Hitmen(Sky One), Man Like Mobeen (BBC 3) and many more.
About EPIX
EPIX®, an MGM company, is a premium television network delivering a broad line-up of quality original series and documentaries, the latest movie releases and classic film franchises – all available on TV, on-demand, online and across devices. EPIX® has tripled the amount of original programming on the network and has become a destination for original premium content with series including Godfather of Harlem, starring and executive produced by Forest Whitaker; Pennyworth, the origin story of Batman’s butler Alfred and drama Chapelwaite, based on the short story Jerusalem’s Lot by Stephen King and starring Academy Award winner Adrien Brody; as well as upcoming premieres of western adventure series Billy the Kid and season two of dramedy Bridge and Tunnel written and directed by Ed Burns. Other originals include Emmy®-nominated music docuseries Laurel Canyon; sci-fi horror series FROM produced by Midnight Radio and AGBO; docuseries Fall River, from Blumhouse Television; War of the Worlds, from Howard Overman and starring Gabriel Byrne and Daisy Edgar-Jones; sweeping historical drama Domina; acclaimed spy thriller Condor; epic fantasy drama series Britannia; docuseries NFL: The Grind and NFL Icons, from NFL Films; music docuseries Mr. A & Mr. M: The Story of A&M Records; docuseries Fiasco, based on the podcast of the same name; Belgravia, from Julian Fellowes, Gareth Neame and the creative team from Downton Abbey; docuseries Helter Skelter: An American Myth, executive produced and directed by Lesley Chilcott; By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem; and Enslaved featuring Hollywood icon and human rights activist Samuel L. Jackson. Launched in October 2009, EPIX® is available nationwide through cable, telco, satellite and emerging digital distribution platforms as well as through its EPIX NOW app, providing more movies than any other network with thousands of titles available for streaming.
For more information about EPIX, go to www.EPIX.com. Follow EPIX on Twitter @EpixHd (http://www.twitter.com/EpixHD) and on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/EPIX), YouTube (http://youtube.com/EPIX), Instagram (http://instagram.com/EPIX) and Snapchat @EPIXTV.
Contacts:
Eileen Quast, EPIX PR
equast@epix.com
Andrew Dickens, Banijay Rights PR
Andrew.dickens@banijayrights.com