Sigourney Weaver to Star in USA Network's POLITICAL ANIMALS This Summer

Two-time Golden Globe® winner, BAFTA Award winner and multiple Emmy® and Oscar® nominee Sigourney Weaver ("Avatar") will make her series TV debut starring in USA Network's provocative six-hour original series POLITICAL ANIMALS, from Warner Horizon Television. Slated for the network's blockbuster summer lineup, the event drama comes from acclaimed television and film producers Greg Berlanti ("Brothers & Sisters," "Dirty Sexy Money," "Everwood") and Laurence Mark ("Dreamgirls," "Julie & Julia," "Jerry Maguire"). Pulling back the curtain on persuasive public speeches and stirring campaign ads, the fictional look at a former first family exposes a dynasty weakened by political ambition, lust and greed.

Weaver stars as Elaine Barrish, the divorced former First Lady and newly appointed Secretary of State who throws herself into the job after recovering from the dissolution of her marriage and losing the presidential nomination. Barrish relies heavily on her son Doug (James Wolk – "Lonestar," "Happy Endings"), an ambitious politico who serves as her chief of staff, but is tormented by his twin brother's struggles with addiction. With a philandering ex-husband who is still as much in love with her as the office he once held, she attempts to keep her family together, while simultaneously dealing with crises of the State Department and a hungry DC journalist bent on destroying her career. Through it all she knows that the only way to survive is to do things her own way, even if that means bending the rules. Brittany Ishibashi ("Parenthood," FAIRLY LEGAL) also stars as Doug's fiancée.

POLITICAL ANIMALS is from Berlanti Productions and Laurence Mark Productions in association with Warner Horizon Television. Berlanti wrote and will direct the pilot and serves as executive producer of the series with Mark. Melissa Kellner Berman of Berlanti Productions will co-executive produce.

USA is cable's #1 network and a leader in scripted programming with ten original series: BURN NOTICE, COVERT AFFAIRS, FAIRLY LEGAL, IN PLAIN SIGHT, NECESSARY ROUGHNESS, PSYCH, ROYAL PAINS, SUITS, WHITE COLLAR and COMMON LAW launching this May.

Warner Horizon Television (WHTV) is one of the entertainment industry's leading producers of scripted series for the cable marketplace and primetime reality series for both network and cable. Founded in 2006, this second production entity allows the Warner Bros. Television Group to expand its programming offerings and explore creative options made possible under a new business model. WHTV's current unscripted series are The Voice for NBC, The Bachelor franchise - which includes The Bachelor, The Bachelorette and Bachelor Pad - for ABC and Randy Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew for MTV. Scripted programs from WHTV are Rizzoli & Isles and Dallas for TNT, Sullivan and Son for TBS, Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game for ABC Family, Longmire for A&E and Political Animals for USA Network.

USA Network is the #1 network in all of basic cable and is seen in 102 million U.S. homes. A division of NBCUniversal, USA is the cable television leader in original series and is home to the best in blockbuster theatrical films, acquired television series and entertainment events. The award-winning USA website is located at www.usanetwork.com.

USA Network is a program service of NBCUniversal Cable a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.

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