Starz announced today that the second season of the limited series “The Girlfriend Experience,” executive produced by Steven Soderbergh and Philip Fleishman, will feature two parallel storylines – each written, directed and executive produced by Lodge Kerrigan and Amy Seimetz. Kerrigan and Seimetz served as writers, directors and executive producers on season one of the limited series.
Breaking with last season’s format and following two parallel stories this season, “The Girlfriend Experience” will focus on entirely new characters, relationships, plotlines and locations while exploring the price of intimacy and its emotional consequences. One storyline for the 14-episode scripted anthology series will be set in Washington, D.C. and the other, in New Mexico
“It was always our intention to change the universe every season, but Amy and Lodge have cranked up the ambition, scope, and complexity of the show by creating two storylines even more provocative and confrontational than last year’s. I’m as excited as a Swedish person is allowed to get,” Soderbergh said.
The first storyline (by Kerrigan) is set against the backdrop of the corrupting influence of dark money in the upcoming 2018 U.S. mid-term elections, where everything and everyone has a price. It tracks an unexpected and complex relationship between Erica Myles, a commanding and strong-willed finance director of a Republican super PAC, and Anna Greenwald, a confident and intelligent GFE provider at the top of her game. Erica is under intense pressure to deliver on her super PAC fundraising goals. She meets Anna and enlists her help in blackmailing a high-powered dark money fundraiser. After their initial exchange, Erica and Anna fall into a complicated sexual relationship which also draws in Erica’s manipulative ex-girlfriend. The mix of personal instability and career pressure mount and lead Erica down a path, both professionally and personally, that she struggles to control.
Anna Friel will portray Erica Myles and Louisa Krause will play Anna Greenwald.
Meanwhile, the second storyline (by Seimetz) follows Bria Jones. After discovering disturbing information about a regular client, Jones is forced to relocate to a remote location in New Mexico. Unable to shake her desire for risky relationships and the finer things in life, Bria navigates her new penniless and surreal existence by forming eerily intimate transactional relationships. While Bria’s ghosts from the past continue to haunt, her new connections with men redefine the meaning of the Girlfriend Experience.
Carmen Ejogo will stars as Bria Jones.
Ejogo is best known thus far for her leading role as Coretta Scott in Ava DuVernay’s “Selma.” She was most recently seen playing the key role of Seraphina Picquery, President of the Magical Congress of the United States of America, in J.K.Rowling’s “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” Ejogo will next appear in Ridley Scott’s highly anticipated prequel “Alien: Covenant” later this year.
Senior Vice President of Original Programing Ken Segna is the Starz executive in charge of “The Girlfriend Experience.”
Starz limited series “The Girlfriend Experience” was a reimagining of Steven Soderbergh’s 2009 critically acclaimed movie of the same name. Season one of “The Girlfriend Experience” starred Riley Keough.
