HBO Acquires North American Television And Streaming Rights To Limited Drama Series LAETITIA, From France TV Distribution, Debuting August 30

Limited Series ls Written by Antoine Lacomblez, And Written And Directed By Academy Award Winning Director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade

HBO has acquired the North American television and streaming rights to the six-episode French limited drama series LAETITIA from France tv distribution and Academy Award winning director of "Murder on a Sunday Morning," Jean-Xavier de Lestrade. The first French series ever to be selected for the Sundance Film Festival in 2019, the limited series debuts MONDAY, AUGUST 30 (10:00-10:50 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max. Following the disappearance of eighteen-year-old "Laetitia" (Sophie Breyer) and the repercussions that follow her twin sister "Jessica" (Marie Colomb), the series is based on the true events that shook France in 2011, and the best-selling book by Ivan Jablonka, "Laëtitia ou la fin des hommes" (Laetitia or the end of men") published by Editions du Seuil, 2016.

The lead cast includes Sophie Breyer ("Raw") as Laetitia, Marie Colomb ("Sunshine State of Mind") as Jessica, Yannick Choirat ("Victor Hugo," "Last Love") as Detective Frantz Touchais, Sam Karmann as Gilles Patron ("True Enough"), Alix Poisson ('The Returned," "The Collection") as Béatrice Prieur, Kévin Azaïs ("A Taste of Ink," "Love at First Sight") as Franck, Noam Morgensztern ("Just Love!") as Tony Meilhon, Clotilde Mollet ("The Intouchables") as Michelle Patron, Cyril Descours ("Paris, je t'aime") as Judge Martinot, and Guillaume Marquet ("Love Crime") as Loïc Nallet.

Based on true events, LAETITIA chronicles the disappearance of a teenage girl in western France. Left to reconstruct the teenager's final hours for answers, investigators (led by Yannick Choirat) begin to uncover deeply troubling details of Laetitia's (Sophie Breyer) and her twin sister Jessica's (Marie Colomb) upbringing. As they search to uncover the details behind her final days, this highly polarizing case casts a sharp eye on France's legal system, police force, social services and how a single act of violence can impact an entire country.

"Behind Laetitia's tragic murder, there was an unknown world, an abusive social environment with shattered individual destinies," says writer and director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade. "This is a true story and it starts with classic police work, an investigation about the disappearance of an eighteen year old girl. To me it very quickly became an investigation about the life of that young woman which is much more fascinating and something for which I feel a great deal of responsibility and humility in being able to tell. We have to remember Laetitia, not the way she died, but the way she lived."

Episodes include:

Episode 1

Debut date: FRIDAY, AUGUST 30 (10:00-10:50 p.m. ET/PT)

2011. After 18-year-old Laetitia's (Sophie Breyer) family discovers her abandoned scooter, detectives launch an exhaustive search. While local repeat offender Tony Meilhon (Noam Morgensztern) quickly emerges as the prime suspect, he stonewalls the investigation, forcing the police to refocus their efforts on reconstructing Laetitia's final moments. Back in 1995, the twins' home life deteriorates.

Written by Antoine Lacomblez & Jean-Xavier de Lestrade; Directed by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade

Episode 2

Debut date: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 (10:00-10:50 p.m. ET/PT)

With Meilhon in temporary custody, the detectives intensify their efforts to keep him behind bars permanently, questioning those closest to Laetitia (Sophie Breyer) about her recent state of mind - including her devastated twin sister Jessica (Marie Colomb). In 1996, the twins begin a harrowing journey of displacement after their mother checks herself into a clinic.

Written by Antoine Lacomblez & Jean-Xavier de Lestrade; Directed by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade

Episode 3

Debut date: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 (10:00-10:50 p.m. ET/PT)

As the days continue to pass without any sign of Laetitia (Sophie Breyer), Jessica (Marie Colomb) grows increasingly distraught - prompting Detective Touchais (Yannick Choirat) to throw himself deeper into the victim's habits. Meanwhile, Laetitia's case catches the attention of the president, and later, both the twins' and Meilhon's (Noam Morgensztern) volatile childhoods are explored.

Written by Antoine Lacomblez & Jean-Xavier de Lestrade; Directed by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade

Episode 4

Debut date: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 (10:00-10:45 p.m. ET/PT)

After a partial break in the case, the highly troubling pathology report drives an irreparable wedge in public opinion of the legal system. Now facing increased pressure to solve the case, Detective Touchais (Yannick Choirat) leans on Béatrice Prieur (Alix Poisson), the twins' longtime social worker, for more information about their past. In 2005, Laetitia (Sophie Breyer) and Jessica (Marie Colomb) meet the Patrons (Sam Karmann & Clotilde Mollet) .

Written by Antoine Lacomblez & Jean-Xavier de Lestrade; Directed by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade

Episode 5

Debut date: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 (10:00-10:50 p.m. ET/PT)

After Jessica (Marie Colomb) reveals a memory about her sister (Sophie Breyer) and Meilhon (Noam Morgensztern) suddenly starts talking, Touchais (Yannick Choirat) scrambles to fill in the outstanding gaps. As crucial pieces of Laetitia's case begin to take shape, disturbing details come to light about someone close to the teenagers.

Written by Antoine Lacomblez & Jean-Xavier de Lestrade; Directed by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade

Episode 6

Debut date: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4 (10:00-10:50 p.m. ET/PT)

As disturbing new allegations surface, Béatrice (Alix Poisson) meets with Touchais (Yannick Choirat) to share the full extent of her complicated history with the twins. Later, Jessica (Marie Colomb) confronts her birth and adoptive parents for her own peace.

Written by Antoine Lacomblez & Jean-Xavier de Lestrade; Directed by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade

LAETITIA is adapted from Ivan Jablonka's book published by Editions du Seuil 2016; written by Antoine Lacomblez & written and directed by Academy Award winning director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade; executive produced by Jean Labib (CPB Films); produced by Judith Louis and Christophe Louis (L'lle Clavel); co-produced by France Télévisions, Be-Films/ RTBF and Pictanovo. Distributed by France tv distribution.

LAETITIA will be available to stream featured on HBO Max and can be found on its International Genre page alongside a curated selection of programming from around the world. It is the latest international program made available to HBO's U.S. subscribers and joins HBO Europe's "30 Coins," "Beartown," "The Investigation," and "Patria"; Max Originals "Valley of Tears" and "Gomorrah"; and classics from the HBO Max library including "City of God," "Cinema Paradiso," and "Life is Beautiful."