Starz to air 'Pillars' miniseries

LOS ANGELES, March 2 (UPI) -- Starz Entertainment says it has acquired the U.S. television rights to the eight-hour small-screen adaptation of Ken Follett's novel "The Pillars of the Earth."

Starz is expected to air the $40 million-budgeted series -- which was produced by Tandem Communications, Muse Entertainment and Ridley and Tony Scott's Scott Free Films -- this summer.

Directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, the miniseries was shot on location in Hungary and Austria with a cast that includes Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, Matthew Macfadyen, Eddie Redmayne, Hayley Atwell, Sarah Parish, Donald Sutherland, Alison Pill and Gordon Pinsent.

"Ken Follett's storytelling artistry presents a richness and brilliance we dream about when searching for outstanding properties for event television," Ridley Scott said in a statement Tuesday. "The eight-hour television adaptation of his monumental novel 'The Pillars of the Earth' is everything we could have hoped for and we're extremely happy that Starz will be presenting 'Pillars' to a U.S. audience."

"I am delighted with the series of 'The Pillars of the Earth' -- script, cast, direction, everything -- and thrilled that it is going to be shown on Starz," added Follett.