IN DEVELOPMENT: Starz' Weeds Sequel (Mary Louise-Parker to return)

[Creed]

Starz is working on a sequel series to Weeds, the Showtime series starring Mary Louise-Parker that ran for eight seasons from 2005-2012. The news was revealed on Starz owner Lionsgate’s second-quarter earnings call Thursday.

Lionsgate TV produced the original series, which was created by Jenji Kohan. Louise-Parker is attached to executive produce and star in the new project, which Lionsgate says is in development. The reboot picks up with the Botwin family 10 years after the events of the original series in an era of marijuana legalization. Victoria Morrow is the writer/executive producer.

Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer said during the call that Weeds and fellow Lionsgate TV series Mad Men will also be taken out into the syndication marketplace next year.

In the original Weeds, Parker played a widowed mother of two boys, played by Hunter Parrish and Alexander Gould, who begins selling marijuana to support her family. Justin Kirk, Kevin Nealon, Elizabeth Perkins, Andy Milder, Allie Grant, Tonye Patano and Romany Malco also starred. In its first year, Weeds was Showtime’s highest-rated series, with its Season 4 premiere drawing 1.3 million viewers, Showtime’s then-highest-ever viewership.

Over the course of its run the series won two Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award as well as a WGA Award.

Variety broke news first today ahead of the Lionsgate earnings call.