Sporadic cancelations have become the latest trend in the industry to mitigate costs, with audiences growing more vociferous by the day on how they impact the viewer experience. But sometimes, a cancelation doesn’t spell the end of a project. This is the case for the recently-canceled series Three Women, which will get a second chance to make it to air after finding a home with the premium cabler Starz. As initially reported by THR, the series was brought to several outlets — including Amazon and HBO — before Starz snagged the Shailene Woodley-led drama.
Three Women’s origins began after Showtime originally greenlit a straight-to-series order in 2019 following a competitive bidding war for the source material’s rights. The drama is based on Lisa Taddeo’s eponymous book that was released the same year, and shot to number one on the NYT bestseller list. Her debut novel is a non-fiction account that descends into the sexual and emotional lives of three women from different backgrounds and regions in the United States. However, after the recent Showtime-Paramount+ streaming merger, Three Women was dropped despite having completed production. The cancelation illustrates the platform’s move toward a “franchise model” under its new leadership from Chris McCarthy.
Woodley stars alongside DeWanda Wise, Betty Gilpin, Gabrielle Creevy, Blair Underwood, and John Patrick Amedori in the series adaptation. Taddeo adapted her novel for television and served as executive producer alongside Laura Eason, Kathy Ciric, Emmy Rossum, and Louise Friedberg.
Three Women’s official logline is below:
“Three women [are] on a crash course to radically overturn their lives. There is Sloane (Wise), a glamorous entrepreneur in a committed open marriage until two sexy new strangers threaten their aspirational love story, and Maggie, a North Dakota student who weathers an intense storm after accusing her married English teacher of an inappropriate relationship. There is Lina (Gilpin), a homemaker in Indiana who, after a decade in a passionless marriage, embarks on an affair that quickly becomes all-consuming and transforms her life. Gia (Woodley), a writer grieving the loss of her family, persuades each of these three spectacular ‘ordinary’ women to tell her their stories, and her relationships with them change the course of her life forever.”
Three Women Is the Second Recently-Canceled Series to be Revived By Starz
On its own, Starz already features an extensive catalog of scripted content that includes P-Valley, Outlander, the Power television franchise, BMF, Hightown, and Blindspotting, to name a few. The network’s move to acquire prematurely canceled programs sends a message of revitalization and optimism for the return of other short-lived projects. Three Women’s addition to the Starz roster marks the second recently-canceled series to be picked up by the network as of late. In January, the critically acclaimed HBO comedy Minx found a home with Starz after being abruptly canceled in December, despite already being in production for its second season. The blindsiding axe to the well-received sitcom was deployed as cost-cutting measures took priority after the WarnerMedia-Discovery merger.
In a statement, President and CEO of Starz Jeffrey Hirsch expressed his excitement to add Minx to their roster.
“We have always felt this show would be a perfect fit for our brand with our dedication to narratives by, about and for women. Starz is proud to be the new home for this incredible show that has drawn in well-deserved critical acclaim. We’re excited to welcome Ellen and the talented Minx team to the network and can’t wait to bring its passionate fans the second season.”
Minx’s creator, showrunner, and executive producer Ellen Rapoport echoed enthusiasm for the comedy’s continuation on Starz. “I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining the Starz family, and for the opportunity to introduce Minx to a brand new audience. We’ve found the perfect home. Our writers, cast and crew have created something truly special in Season 2, and I can’t wait for everyone to see it.”