HBO Max found its latest addition to their original series lineup from New Zealand comedian, Rose Matafeo (Funny Girls). The project is titled Starstruck and follows a struggling young woman in London who has to deal with an awkward morning-after when she realizes that her one-night stand is a movie star.
The show will stream on the forthcoming HBO Max, which is slated for a 2020 release, and air on BBC Three in the United Kingdom. Matafeo said, “The BBC have been so supportive of this project from the get-go and to be able to get this show in front of American audiences at the same time via HBO Max is truly exciting. I’m thrilled we get to make it, otherwise it would’ve technically just been a creepy fan fiction script that I submitted to the national broadcaster. The team we’ve brought together for this series are absolute dreamboats, and I’m super excited to be working with them.” Matafeo will serve as a writer for the series and star in the six-episode comedy. Matafeo is producing alongside Jon Thoday (Last Week Tonight with John Oliver), Richard Allen-Turner (Catastrophe), and Rob Aslett (Not Going Out).
The Controller Comedy Commissioner at the BBC, Shane Allen, remarked, “Very rarely does a comedy talent land as fully formed and instantly magnetic as Rose. Her assertive millennial female voice is the perfect fit for BBC Three given the strong track record we have in launching sitcoms that speak to a younger audience. Prepare to be utterly enchanted by her winning blend of whip smart writing and the rich character world she has created.”
The Head of Original Content at HBO Max, Sarah Aubrey, expressed excitement for the project, “The minute we were introduced to Rose and Starstruck, we knew we had something special. She is exactly the type of original, culture-forward creator we are excited to be working with at HBO Max and we are looking forward to long partnership.” Starstuck is joining a promising lineup of series at HBO Max that includes a Greek mythology show titled Circe, Nicole Kidman’s Crime Farm, Drama Queen, reboot of Gossip Girl, and all ten seasons of Friends.