Jennifer Westfeldt And Victoria Justice Join QUEEN AMERICA On Facebook Watch

By: Jul. 19, 2018
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Jennifer Westfeldt And Victoria Justice Join QUEEN AMERICA On Facebook Watch

Jennifer Westfeldt ("Younger," "Friends with Kids") and Victoria Justice ("Victorious," "Eye Candy") have been tapped for the freshman season of the forthcoming scripted series "Queen America" on Facebook Watch, Facebook's new video platform. Westfeldt's status is as a recurring guest star with Justice attached to the project for dual-episodes. This new series stars Oscar and Tony award-winning actress Catherine Zeta-Jones (Vicki Ellis). "Queen America" is created, written, and executive produced by Meaghan Oppenheimer ("Fear the Walking Dead"). Westfeldt and Justice join previously announced series regulars Belle Shouse, Teagle F. Bougere, Rana Roy, Isabella Amara, Molly Price and Megan West.

Westfeldt portrays Mandy Green, the reigning pageant coach from Texas and Vicki's lifelong nemesis. Justice plays 21-year-old Hayley, Vicki's beautiful yet spoiled protégé, who has been primed since age 12 to be a beauty queen.

Set in Tulsa, Oklahoma, "Queen America" is the story of Vicki Ellis, the most renowned (and ruthless) pageant coach in the state, and the hapless Samantha who hopes Vicki can mold her into a worthwhile contender. Vicki is desperately sought after by young women competing to be pageant queen royalty for one reason; she can turn any girl into a winner. But when she's paired with the beautiful but unpolished Samantha, Vicki's entire reputation is at stake.

"Queen America" hails from wiip, the new independent studio launched and led by veteran television executive Paul Lee, who serves as an executive producer on the project. Bruna Papandrea and Casey Haver are executive producers for co-studio partner Made Up Stories alongside Guymon Casady and Suzan Bymel of Entertainment 360, and Janice Williams. Made Up Stories' Steve Hutensky serves as a co-executive producer. Australian filmmaker Alethea Jones ("Fun Mom Dinner") is directing all 10 episodes of the series and is a co-executive producer.

Facebook Watch (https://www.facebook.com/watch) is available for free on mobile, desktop and Facebook's TV apps.

An actress and filmmaker, Jennifer Westfeldt is perhaps best known for writing, producing and starring in the indie films "Kissing Jessica Stein" (Indie Spirit Nomination, Golden Satellite Award, GLAAD Media Award, multiple Audience Awards), "Ira & Abby" (Best Actress/HBO Comedy Festival, multiple Audience Awards), and "Friends with Kids" (Top Ten Films of 2012, New York Magazine, NPR), which also marked her directorial debut. Her television credits include "Girls," "24," "Grey's Anatomy," "Notes from the Underbelly," "Two Guys, A Girl and A Pizza Place," "Judging Amy," "Holding the Baby," and "Children's Hospital," among others. For the past two seasons, she has played the major recurring role of Pauline Turner Brooks on TV Land's hit show "Younger." Jennifer made her Broadway debut opposite Donna Murphy in "Wonderful Town," directed by Kathleen Marshall, for which she received a Tony nomination, a Theater World Award and a Drama League Award. Jennifer is currently in development on an original TV project, which she will write, star in and produce; and a new screenplay, which she will produce and direct.

Westfeldt is represented by Innovative Artists, Cinetic Media, Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner & Klein

Victoria Justice is a versatile actress and recording artist who will next be seen in the feature films "Bigger" about fitness forefathers, the Weider Brothers and "Summer Night," a coming-of-age story about the complexities of young romantic relationships. Justice starred in the hit Nickelodeon series "Victorious." She recently starred as the iconic role of Janet Weiss in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" on FOX and was series lead, Lindy, in the MTV series "Eye Candy," a cyber-thriller based on R.L. Stine's best-seller.

Justice is represented by UTA and Jackoway, Tyerman, Wertheimer, Austen, Mandelbaum, Morris & Klein.

ABOUT FACEBOOK WATCH

Facebook Watch is a place to discover and enjoy shows on Facebook. Home to a wide range of shows - from scripted comedy and drama, to competition and reality series, to individual creators and live sports - Facebook Watch is a video platform where episodic content, community and conversation come together. This is a personalized viewing experience, where you can discover new series based on what your friends are watching and catch up on the shows you follow. Facebook Watch is available for free on mobile apps across Apple and Android, on desktop, laptop and on TV apps listed here: https://videoapp.fb.com/.

ABOUT wiip (word.idea.imagination.production.)

Led by seasoned entertainment executive Paul Lee and supported by the vast resources of Creative Artists Agency (CAA), wiip is a talent-driven studio, distinctive in its commitment to letting talent do what talent does best - create. wiip creates and produces content for digital and global platforms.

ABOUT MADE UP STORIES

Made Up Stories is a development, production and finance company committed to creating content with compelling female figures squarely at the center and enabling female directors, writers, actors, and fellow producers to tell the stories they want to tell. Founded and run by Bruna Papandrea, the award-winning producer of the HBO limited series "Big Little Lies" (8 Emmy Awards, 4 Golden Globe Awards, etc.), and the feature films "Wild," "Gone Girl" (over $365 million in worldwide box office), "Warm Bodies" and "Milk," Made Up Stories produced in its first-year acclaimed filmmaker Jennifer Kent's "The Nightingale," and rising filmmaker Abe Forsythe's "Little Monsters" (staring Lupita Nyong'o and Josh Gad). Additionally, upcoming on the television side, the company has the upcoming TNT series, "Tell Me Your Secrets," written by Harriet Warner and directed by Caméra d'Or winner Houda Benyamina, and Meaghan Oppenheimer's "Queen America," starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and directed by Alethea Jones for Facebook Watch.

ABOUT ENTERTAINMENT 360

Entertainment 360, the content production arm of Management 360, originates, packages, develops and produces a wide variety of film and television projects. Previous and current projects include HBO's Emmy-winning hit series "Game of Thrones;" Danny Boyle's "Steve Jobs" written by Aaron Sorkin, which garnered Best Actor and Best Actress nominations for Michael Fassbender and Kate Winslet; "Office Christmas Party" starring Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, and Kate McKinnon; AMC's new series "The Terror," based on Dan Simmons' bestselling novel; and "Cowboy Ninja Viking" starring Chris Pratt.



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