Lena Headey to Star in RITA for Showtime

SHOWTIME has announced a pilot production order for the hour-long dramedy RITA, starring Emmy and Golden Globe® nominee Lena Headey (Game of Thrones). Headey will executive produce the pilot, a co-production of Showtime and Platform One Media, with creator/showrunner Christian Torpe, who is writing the pilot based on his award-winning original Danish series. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine and Jana Winograde, Presidents of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc.

In RITA, Headey will play the title character, a headstrong, unconventional teacher and single mother who takes on every kind of authority - as well as her family - in a messy and unfiltered way.

"Rita is a deliciously subversive character who will make you laugh and cry as she continuously challenges the hypocrisy around her," Winograde said. "It goes without saying that Lena Headey is a force, whose essence is ideal to take on this wonderfully dynamic lead role."

Headey is best known for her ongoing portrayal of Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones, receiving multiple Emmy nominations for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and a Golden Globe nomination. Most recently, Headey can be seen in Stephen Merchant's film Fighting with My Family, starring opposite Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Nick Frost, and Vince Vaughn. Additional film credits include The Flood, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Zipper, Low Down, The Purge and 300: Rise of An Empire. In addition, Headey previously played the title role in the television series The Sarah Connor Chronicles, taking over the part made famous by Linda Hamilton. Her television credits also include The Gathering Storm, Band of Gold and the BAFTA®-nominated The Long Firm.

Torpe has twice been nominated for Monte Carlo TV Festival awards for his work on the original RITA. Torpe also won the prestigious Bodil Award in his native country for the screenplay of Stille hjerte (Silent Heart), directed by Bille August. Through Motor, his European production company, Torpe currently has two series in production, and numerous films in active development. In addition, his feature film Blackbird starring Susan Sarandon and Kate Winslet, directed by Roger Michel, will be released this fall.

RITA is executive produced by Christian Torpe and Lena Headey, and Elisa Ellis for Platform One Media, which is headed by Katie O'Connell Marsh.

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Photo Credit: Jack McMorran

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