Beverly Hills, California – Starz has announced the series development of Storyville which is set in New Orleans during the turn of the 20th century where prostitution was decriminalised and an exceedingly vibrant, hedonistic, celebratory subculture emerged and fuelled the birth of jazz. Award-winning film and theatre Writer/Director George C. Wolfe (Nights in Rodanthe, Lackawanna Blues, Lucky Guy) will serve as screenwriter and director with Colin Callender’s Playground Entertainment producing the series, led by Scott Huff, Vice President of Development and Production.

“We’re glad to be working in partnership again with Colin Callender and Playground Entertainment on this series and with one of Broadway’s most respected producers and directors, George C. Wolfe for the first time. His love and expertise in this particular world will allow us to take viewers back to turn-of-the-century New Orleans during the birth of jazz in the midst of profound corruption,” said Starz Managing Director Carmi Zlotnik.

Storyville is based on an original idea by Wolfe who won three Tony Awards® for the 1992 Broadway musical Jelly’s Last Jam about Jelly Roll Morton whose career began in the Storyville district. Wolfe’s theatre credits include directing Nora Ephron’s Tony-nominated Lucky Guy starring Tom Hanks in his Broadway debut and winning a Tony for his work on Angels in America. Wolfe is repped by CAA.