*Ahead of the June 25th fourth season premiere of the Starz Original series “Power,” its creator, showrunner and executive producer, Courtney A. Kemp, has expanded her exclusive multi-year overall deal with Starz to include Lionsgate.
The new pact allows Kemp to develop and produce new projects for Starz and Lionsgate through her End of Episode production company, while also continuing to serve in her current role as showrunner and executive producer on “Power.”
“Courtney A. Kemp is the complete showrunner package, and we’re thrilled to continue collaborating with such a creative talent and outstanding producer,” said Chris Albrecht, President and CEO of Starz. “We are proud to see Courtney receive the recognition she deserves in our industry and are pleased the combined ‘power’ of Starz and Lionsgate offers even greater opportunities for her – and us – in the creative community.”
“Power” marked Kemp’s debut as a creator and showrunner and follows the complex character James “Ghost” St. Patrick and his attempts to move from New York’s biggest drug dealer to its biggest legit businessman. Under Kemp’s leadership, the series doubled viewership from its premiere episode to its Season One finale and generated the largest concentration of African American viewership of any scripted premium series in almost a decade. Season 3 delivered a record 8 million multiplatform viewers (Live + SD) per episode and was the most watched premium television original series in 2016, behind only “Game of Thrones.”
“We are longtime fans of Courtney’s thanks to her record-breaking series ‘Power’ and delighted to be working with her at the studio going forward,” said Lionsgate Television Group Chairman Kevin Beggs. “Her new deal shows the ability of our combined company to attract and nurture the top talent in the business.”
“This new deal presents a wonderful opportunity to extend my creative efforts on ‘Power’ while developing new shows for Lionsgate,” said Kemp. “I am grateful to Jon [Feltheimer], Kevin and Chris for this warm welcome to the Lionsgate family, and I’m looking forward to a continued relationship with Chris, Carmi and the entire team at Starz.”
The 10-episode fourth season returns on Sunday, June 25th airing all day with a “Power” Play marathon.
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