SAM NEILL TO STAR IN AMC'S "THE SON"

ADDITIONAL CASTING INCLUDES HENRY GARRETT, ZAHN MCCLARNON PAOLA NUNEZ, and SYDNEY LUCAS

PRODUCTION SET TO BEGIN IN JUNE

NEW YORK, NY - March 11, 2016 - Golden Globe and Emmy(R) nominated actor Sam Neill ("Peaky Blinders," "The Tudors," "Jurassic Park") has been cast as the lead in AMC's upcoming original series "The Son." Based on Philipp Meyer's acclaimed novel, the series is a multi-generational epic telling of the story of America's birth as a superpower through the bloody rise and fall of one Texas family. Produced by AMC Studios and Sonar Entertainment, "The Son" will be written and executive produced by Meyer, Lee Shipman, Brian McGreevy and showrunner Kevin Murphy ("Defiance"). Jenna Glazier will produce for Sonar Entertainment. Production will begin in Austin, TX in June and the 10 one-hour episodes, are set to premiere in 2017.

Neill will portray Eli, the charismatic patriarch of the McCullough family. As a child, he was kidnapped and raised among the Comanche Native American tribe and applies the brutal Comanche worldview to his business dealings. He was born on the day Texas became an independent Republic, earning the nickname "First Son of Texas" and is a relic of the Wild West, uneasy with the inexorable taming of Texas and the uncertain future of his legacy.

Additional casting for the series includes Henry Garrett ("Poldark," "Testament of Youth") as Pete McCullough, the eldest son of Eli. He grew up in Eli's shadow and struggles to make his impossible father proud while still forging his own identity. Zahn McClarnon ("Fargo") portrays Toshaway, a Comanche war chief who captures young Eli and becomes his father figure. Paola Nunez ("Reina de corazones") will play Maria Garcia, whose family is the last of the wealthy Spanish aristocracy in South Texas. She is college educated and a woman ahead of her time. Tony-nominated actress Sydney Lucas ("Fun Home"), rounds out the cast in the role of Jeannie McCullough, the strong-willed tomboy daughter of Pete. Despite coming up in a male-dominated world, she rejects her fate of existing solely to marry well and bear children.

"This is an incredibly talented cast, led by the remarkable Sam Neill, and we can't wait to see them embody these characters and give life to this unforgettable story," said Joel Stillerman, president of original programming and development for AMC and SundanceTV.

About AMC

Whether commemorating favorite films from every genre and decade, or creating acclaimed original programming, AMC brings to its audience something deeper, something richer, Something More. The network reigns as the only cable network in history ever to win the Emmy(R) Award for Outstanding Drama Series four years in a row with "Mad Men," and six of the last eight with back-to-back honoree "Breaking Bad." The network boasts the most-watched drama series in basic cable history and the number one show on television among adults 18-49 for the last three years with "The Walking Dead." AMC's current original drama series include "The Walking Dead," "Better Call Saul," "Hell on Wheels," "TURN: Washington's Spies," "Halt and Catch Fire," "Humans," "Fear the Walking Dead," "Into the Badlands" and the forthcoming "The Night Manager," "Feed the Beast," "Preacher," "The Son," and "The Terror." AMC also explores authentic worlds and discussion with original shows like "Talking Dead," "The Making of The Mob," "Comic Book Men" and the upcoming "Ride with Norman Reedus" and "The American West." AMC is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc. and its sister networks include IFC, SundanceTV, BBC America and WE tv. AMC is available across all platforms, including on-air, online, on demand and mobile. AMC: Something More.

About Sonar Entertainment

Sonar Entertainment is a multi-faceted independent entertainment company designed to meet today's ever-changing landscape in global television production and distribution. With headquarters in Los Angeles and offices around the world, Sonar is uniquely positioned to participate in a wide range of ways in order to create television series, miniseries and movies. The company develops, produces, acquires, finances, packages and distributes product both internationally and domestically. Current series include "The Shannara Chronicles," for MTV; "Taboo," starring Tom Hardy, for FX and BBC One; and "The Son," for AMC. While primarily focused on the development and production of new product, Sonar is also the distributor of over 1,000 library titles comprised of award-winning programs from RHI Entertainment, Hallmark Entertainment and Hal Roach Studios, among others.