STARZ ACQUIRES CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED DRAMA SERIES "THE LISTENERS" STARRING REBECCA HALL

Thriller Bolsters Network's Commitment to Expand Its Slate for Women and Underrepresented Audiences

Santa Monica, Calif. - Jan 27, 2026 - STARZ has acquired the exclusive U.S. rights to the five-part thriller "The Listeners," starring Golden Globe and BAFTA nominee Rebecca Hall (Peter Hujar's Day, Godzilla v. Kong franchise, Resurrection) and directed by Janicza Bravo (Zola, The Bear) from Fremantle. Based on the novel by Jordan Tannahill, who also wrote the adaptation, the provocative, haunting drama premiered on BBC One in the U.K. to broad critical acclaim and will premiere in the U.S. exclusively on STARZ in 2026.

"'The Listeners' pulls viewers in from the start with its unique mystery while provoking questions about how society treats and believes women's experiences," said Alison Hoffman, President of STARZ Networks. "We're proud to bring this critically acclaimed project to the U.S. and expand our suite of premium programming for women with this riveting psychological thriller."

STARZ is the premium streaming home for women and underrepresented audiences, driven by inclusive, adult storytelling and an unwavering commitment to the viewers it serves. "The Listeners" is the latest addition to STARZ's expanding slate that is a blend of self-owned originals ("Fightland"), prestige acquisitions ("Amadeus"), and powerhouse franchises ("Outlander," "Power").

"The Listeners" is a taut thriller centered around Claire (Hall), a popular English teacher, who begins to hear a low humming sound that no one else around her can hear. This seemingly innocuous noise gradually upsets the balance of her life, increasing tension between herself and her husband, Paul (Prasanna Puwanarajah), and daughter, Ashley (Mia Tharia). But despite multiple doctors, no obvious source or medical cause can be found. When she discovers that a student of hers, Kyle (Ollie West), can also hear the sound, the two strike up an unlikely and intimate friendship. Finding themselves increasingly isolated from their families, friends and colleagues, they fall in with a disparate group of neighbors, led by a charismatic couple, Jo (Gayle Rankin) and Omar (Amr Waked), who also claim they can hear what they call "The Hum" - but rather than track down the source to stop it, believe it is a gift, heard only by a "chosen few."

Over the course of five episodes, the gripping and thought-provoking series explores the seduction of the wild and unknowable, the human search for the transcendent, the rise of conspiracy culture in the West, and the desire for community and connection in our increasingly polarized times.

"The Listeners" is an Element Pictures, a Fremantle company, production for the BBC. The series is written by Jordan Tannahill and directed by Janicza Bravo. Both also serve as executive producers, alongside Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Chelsea Morgan Hoffmann and Rachel Dargavel for Element Pictures, Rebecca Ferguson for the BBC, and Alice Birch. The series is produced by Ed King (His House, Suspect, Howl). Fremantle is handling global sales. The deal with STARZ was brokered by Fremantle's EVP of Distribution, North America, Lisa Honig, and Lorenzo De Maio of De Maio Entertainment.

About STARZ

STARZ (NASDAQ: STRZ) is the leading premium entertainment destination for women and underrepresented audiences, and home to some of the most popular franchises and series on television. STARZ offers a robust programming mix for discerning adult audiences, including boundary-breaking originals and an expansive lineup of blockbuster movies, and is embodied by its brand positioning "We're All Adults Here." Complementary to any platform or service, STARZ is available across a wide range of digital OTT platforms and multichannel video distributors and is a bundling partner of choice. STARZ is powered by an industry-leading advanced technology, data analytics and digital infrastructure and the highly rated and first-of-its-kind STARZ app.

About Fremantle

Fremantle is a leading global creator, producer and distributor of some of the world's most successful content across Entertainment, Drama & Film, and Documentaries.    

Amplifying local stories on a global scale, Fremantle produces and delivers premium, multi-genre IP across the 28 territories it has a presence in. Fremantle is a proudly independent group of content creators, and home to some of the biggest entertainment formats, compelling international dramas, award-winning films and high-quality documentaries.  From Got Talent to My Brilliant Friend, Family Feud to Poor Things, Mussolini: Son of the Century to It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley, Too Hot To Handle to Big Mood, Maxton Hall to Idols, and Maria to The Zelensky Story, our focus is simple - Fremantle creates and delivers irresistible entertainment.        

Fremantle also represents world-leading digital and branded entertainment, with more than 550 million fans and 390 billion views for its standout content across all platforms. Fremantle's Global Channels unit consists of more than 20 FAST channels worldwide, including BUZZR, Rig TV, and Baywatch. Fremantle is part of RTL Group, a global leader across broadcast, streaming, content and digital, itself a division of the international media, services, and education company Bertelsmann.        

For more information, please visit www.fremantle.com, follow Fremantle on Twitter @FremantleHQ and Instagram @fremantle or visit Fremantle's LinkedIn page.

About Element Pictures

Element Pictures is an award-winning film and television drama production company run by Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe, with offices in Dublin and London.

Recent film releases include Yorgos Lanthimos' BUGONIA (Focus Features), starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons, which was nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Picture, four Golden Globes including Best Picture (Comedy or Musical), as well as four BAFTAs. As well as Harry Lighton's PILLION (BBC Films/BFI/Cornerstone), starring Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling, which won Best Screenplay in Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for four BAFTAs, including Outstanding British Film. Set for release is Akinola Davies Jnr's MY FATHER'S SHADOW (BBC Film/BFI/MUBI/Match Factory), which received a Special Mention for the Caméra d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for Outstanding Debut.

Previous film productions include Yorgos Lanthimos' multi Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA winning films POOR THINGS and THE FAVOURITE - as well as his other English language films including THE LOBSTER, THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER and KINDS OF KINDNESS. Other notable recent films include Lenny Abrahamson's Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA winning ROOM as well as THE LITTLE STRANGER and Rungano Nyoni's second feature film, ON BECOMING A GUINEA FOWL which won Best Director at Cannes Film Festival (Un Certain Regard). Other films include Sebastián Lelio's THE WONDER and DISOBEDIENCE, Joanna Hogg's THE ETERNAL DAUGHTER and THE SOUVENIR PART II, Phyllida Lloyd's HERSELF, Sean Durkin's THE NEST and Ariane Labed's SEPTEMBER SAYS.

Current television projects include THE CAGE, a series created by the BAFTA-nominated writer Tony Schumacher, starring Sheridan Smith and Michael Socha for the BBC, season 3 of THE DRY, written by Nancy Harris for RTE/ITV and THE RACHEL INCIDENT, an adaptation of Caroline O'Donoghue's best-selling novel for Channel 4. Previous television credits include adaptations of Sally Rooney's novels, NORMAL PEOPLE and CONVERSATIONS WITH FRIENDS, both directed by Lenny Abrahamson; Nancy Harris' THE DRY seasons 1 & 2; Shane Meadows' period drama THE GALLOWS POLE; and an adaptation of Jordan Tannahill's book, THE LISTENERS for the BBC.

To date Element Pictures' productions have won 6 Academy Awards, 15 Baftas and 4 Golden Globes. In May 2022, Fremantle acquired a majority stake in Element Pictures.