STARZ STEPS INTO THE RING WITH PREMIERE DATE, TEASER TRAILER AND KEY ART FOR WRESTLING DRAMA "HEELS" STARRING STEPHEN AMELL AND ALEXANDER LUDWIG

THE ORIGINAL SERIES FROM CREATOR MICHAEL WALDRON AND SHOWRUNNER MIKE O'MALLEY PREMIERES SUNDAY, AUGUST 15 ON STARZ ACROSS ALL PLATFORMS

Santa Monica, Calif. - Sunday, May 2, 2021 - STARZ released the official trailer and key art today for its new original drama series "Heels," set in the world of independent professional wrestling. The new STARZ original series will premiere worldwide on Sunday, August 15 across all STARZ platforms, including at 9:00PM ET/PT on STARZ in the U.S. and Canada, and will air day and date internationally on the STARZPLAY premium streaming platform across its complete footprint in Europe, Latin America and Japan.

Written and created by Executive Producer Michael Waldron ("Loki," the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) with Executive Producer Mike O'Malley ("Shameless," "Survivor's Remorse") as showrunner, "Heels" stars Stephen Amell ("Arrow") as Jack Spade, with Alexander Ludwig (The Hunger Games, "Vikings") playing his younger brother, Ace. Peter Segal (Get Smart, 50 First Dates, Tommy Boy, "Shameless"), who directs several episodes, also serves as Executive Producer.

"Heels" is a story about the men and women who chase their dreams in the world of small town pro wrestling. Set in a close-knit Georgia community, it follows a family-owned wrestling promotion as two brothers and rivals war over their late father's legacy. In the ring, somebody must play the good guy and somebody must play their nemesis, the heel. But in the real world, those characters can be hard to live up to - or hard to leave behind.

The drama series also stars Alison Luff as Staci Spade, Jack's wife who learns that she has to contend with the emotional stakes her in-laws have invested in their wrestling goals and the demands it puts on her family; Mary McCormack as Willie Day, Jack's business partner and the logistrical brains behind the local wrestling organization; Kelli Berglund as Crystal Tyler, Ace's valet and love interest; Allen Maldonado as Rooster Robbins, one of the best wrestlers in the circuit who always has something to prove and always backs it up; two-time Super Bowl champion James Harrison as Apocalypse, a been-around-the-block journeyman wrestler who's been at it for decades and has no illusions of fame or glory; and Chris Bauer as Wild Bill Hancock, a larger-than-life former wrestling star who is now a high-level pro wrestling scout.

Along with Waldron, O'Malley and Segal, LBI Entertainment's Julie Yorn (Hell or High Water, White Boy Rick, The Dirt), Christopher Donnelly and Patrick Walmsley will also serve as Executive Producers. "Heels" is produced by Lionsgate TV for STARZ in association with Paramount Television Studios.

Senior Vice President of Original Programming Samantha Offsay Nissen and Director of Original Programming Alex Alberts are the executives overseeing "Heels" on behalf of STARZ, with Director of Original Programming Jade-Addon Hall as the executive overseeing "Heels" on behalf of Lionsgate.

About STARZ

STARZ (www.starz.com), a Lionsgate company, is a leading global media streaming platform committed to delivering premium content that amplifies narratives by, about and for women and underrepresented audiences. STARZ is home to the highly-rated and first-of-its-kind STARZ app that offers the ability to stream or download STARZ premium content, as well as the flagship domestic STARZ(R) service, including STARZ ENCORE, 17 premium pay TV channels, and the associated on-demand and online services. In 2018, STARZ launched its STARZPLAY international premium streaming platform to provide subscribers access to the "best of global SVOD." STARZPLAY, coupled with its STARZPLAY ARABIA joint venture, has expanded its global footprint into more than 55 countries throughout Europe and Latin America along with Canada, Japan, India and Indonesia. STARZ and STARZPLAY are available across digital OTT platforms and multichannel video distributors, including cable operators, satellite television providers, and telecommunications companies around the world. In February 2021, STARZ launched #TakeTheLead, a multi-faceted and innovative inclusion initiative expanding its existing efforts to improve representation on screen, behind the camera and throughout the company.