Jennifer Jason Leigh, Hugo Weaving and Anna Madeley join Benedict Cumberbatch in Sky Original Production Patrick Melrose

Academy Award nominee Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight), Hugo Weaving (The Matrix trilogy) and Anna Madeley (The Crown) have joined the cast of Patrick Melrose (previously Melrose), a new series from Sky Atlantic and SHOWTIME starring and executive produced by Academy Award nominee and Emmy winner Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock).

Jennifer Jason Leigh and Hugo Weaving will star as the parents of Patrick Melrose, while Anna Madeley will play his wife. BAFTA Award nominee David Nicholls (One Day) is writing all five episodes, which will be directed by critically acclaimed director Edward Berger (Deutschland 83).

Based on the acclaimed series of semi-autobiographical novels by Edward St Aubyn, Patrick Melrose hilariously skewers the upper class as it tracks its protagonist's harrowing journey from a deeply traumatic childhood through adult substance abuse and, ultimately, towards recovery.

With each episode devoted to one of the series' five novels, the show will lay bare the drama of Melrose's life, from his abusive youth at the hands of his father and the mother who tacitly condones the behaviour, to the outrageous playboy he becomes and the struggles he endures to defy the damage of his own past. The series will be a true television saga, both gripping and humorous, with Nicholls' adaptation sweeping through the South of France in the 1960s, New York in the 1980s and Britain in the early 2000s.

Leigh has received Golden Globe nominations for her work in The Hateful Eight, Mrs Parker, the Vicious Circle, as well as four individual Film Independent Spirit Award nominations for her performances in Anomalisa, Margot at the Wedding, Georgia, Mrs Parker and the Vicious Circle. She is currently appearing in Twin Peaks on Sky Atlantic.

In addition to playing Agent Smith inThe Matrix trilogy and Elrond in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Weaving's other notable film roles include Hacksaw Ridge, The Hobbit, Cloud Atlas and Captain America: The First Avenger.

Madeley has starred in series such as The Crown, Mr Selfridge and Utopia and films including In Bruges, and has had an extensive career on the stage, performing with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

A native of Germany, Berger has won two Adolf Grimme Awards for directing, most recently in 2016 for Deutschland 83, and was nominated for two German Film Awards for Jack.

Michael Jackson and Academy Award nominee and Emmy and Golden Globe -winning producer Rachael Horovitz (Moneyball, Grey Gardens) will also be executive producers of the series. Jackson, the former Channel 4 and IAC executive, recently formed the drama banner Two Cities Television. Patrick Melrose will be the company's first production, along with Benedict Cumberbatch and Adam Ackland who will executive produce for SunnyMarch.

Patrick Melrose will begin shooting in London and the South of France in August. Sky Vision will own the distribution rights.

The show will be available on Sky Atlantic, on demand and the Sky Q and Sky Go mobile app, as well as through online streaming service NOW TV with a NOW TV Entertainment Month Pass.

For further information, please contact:

Sky PR

skyentpress@sky.uk

Notes to editors

About Sky

Sky is Europes leading entertainment company, serving 22 million customers across five countries - UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria and Italy. The company has annual revenues of £12 billion and is Europe's leading investor in television content with annual programming spend of over £5 billion.

From exclusive partnerships with HBO and Showtime, to Sky's own original programming, Sky offers the best and broadest range of content along with the best viewing experience to suit each and every customer. Whether that's through the multi-award winning next generation box, Sky Q, or Sky's contract-free online streaming service, NOW TV, customers have access to the latest movies, drama, sports and kids entertainment wherever and whenever they like. This is all supported by Sky's best in class customer service.

Sky's success is not just based on what the company does but how it does it. Named as one of the Top 10 Green Companies in the World by Newsweek, one of the world's most recognised rankings of business's environmental performance, Sky ensures its responsible business strategy is embedded right across the group.

Sky has over 30,000 employees and is listed as one of The Times Top 50 employers for women. Sky is listed on the London Stock Exchange (SKY).

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME , THE MOVIE CHANNEL and FLIX , and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND , THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND , and the networks authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME . Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME . SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Apple , Roku , Amazon, Google and Samsung. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Hulu, YouTube TV, Sling TV, Sony PlayStation Vue and Amazon Channels. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks , a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel , and offers Smithsonian Earth through SN Digital LLC. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV . For more information, go to www.SHO.com

About Sky Vision

Sky Vision is the production and distribution arm of Sky. The distribution arm represents around 5,000 hours of quality primetime programming from Sky Original Productions and independent third party production, across all key pr

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