“We Can Bring the Fan Base Over”: Starz CEO Promises Several ‘Power’ Connections in 50 Cent’s New Series

The 2014 drama series Power, created by Courtney A. Kemp and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson for Starz, is one of the cable network’s most popular shows. It made Starz a household name alongside other hits of the 2010s like Spartacus and Outlander. The show has spawned numerous spin-offs, some still on the air over five years since Power ended. 50 Cent has been a great force for the franchise, working behind the scenes and in front of the cameras to keep them going, and Starz is looking to continue its relationship with the multi-hyphenate. Deadline reports that the network has opened a writers’ room for 50 Cent’s new show, Fightland, which has been in development since 2022.

Fightland is set within the high-stakes, cash-rich, dangerous world of British boxing. It follows “a disgraced, formerly incarcerated boxing champion who returns to London to seek vengeance against the crime family he thinks betrayed him. With edge-of-seat action both in and out of the boxing ring and populated by dangerous characters, this is a world of money and power never seen before.” Starz CEO Jeff Hirsch said Fightland “has the same feel of the Power universe,” and teased some Power reunions, saying:

“We probably will take some characters from the original Power and put them in it so that we know we can bring the fan base over.”

A New Era for Starz Begins With ‘Fightland’ and More Scripted Dramas

Starz has been trying to become and remain a profitable venture for a while. The network has been focused on keeping the audience it has built over the years by airing shows with familiar characters every year. This strategy was behind all the Power spin-offs, which were always conceived with a four-season ceiling in mind. The premium network has employed numerous strategies to stay afloat, including the spinning out technique, which CBS has adopted under the “long-term development” banner. Like Fox, Starz aims to produce its shows or partner with other producers instead of paying licensing fees. They are currently looking to separate from Lionsgate, with whom they merged several years ago.

“As Starz moves into this next chapter, I’m energized by the opportunity to deepen our investment in bold, character-driven storytelling that reflects our audience,” Kathryn Busby, Starz’s President of Original Programming, said. “We’re growing a robust development pipeline with creators who bring fresh, authentic perspectives and doubling down on programming that defines Starz: provocative, premium and inclusive.” Effectively, Starz has also opened writers’ rooms for two more shows, Kingmaker and Masquerade, and partnered with Plan B to produce All Fours. Meanwhile, it has an Outlander prequel, Blood of My Blood; a Spartacus prequel, House of Ashur; and different Power shows set to premiere soon.