Starz Renews 'Magic City' Ahead of Period Drama's April Premiere

The network has ordered a 10-episode second season of the Jeffrey Dean Morgan starrer, which bows April 6.

Like Boss before it, Starz has renewed Magic City for a second, 10-episode season before the show's premiere.

The vote of confidence by Starz CEO Chris Albrecht and his team comes a few weeks ahead of the 1950s-set drama’s formal April 6 bow. The cinematic period drama, which hails from The Recruit’s Mitch Glazer, has already been sold around the globe. Production on the show's second season is expected to begin this year, with the run poised to launch in 2013.

"Magic City is a beautifully written, superbly acted and visually stunning series, and we feel the quality of the work accomplished deserves a second season," said Albrecht, who set the early renewal precedent with his critically acclaimed Kelsey Grammer series Boss in September. "It has already been sold in more than 70 territories worldwide and represents the kind of premium entertainment the Starz brand is seeking to create."

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Magic, which stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen, Grey’s Anatomy), is set at Miami’s Miramar Playa Hotel, where Glazer spent much of his youth. The series follows the hotel's management, clients and crime families as they navigate politics and personal relationships.

"Season One of Magic City has been the most fulfilling and complete creative experience of my life," said Glazer of the series, which counts Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace, Max Payne) and Danny Huston (Children of Men, X-Men Origins: Wolverine) among its cast. "I'm thrilled to continue spinning tales of Miami Beach 1959 for Starz."

The news comes on the heels of Starz’ announcement that it would be serving up the first three of eight episodes of Magic in a bid to get the series sampled before its early April premiere. What’s more, Albrecht’s team, which has made a similarly talent-friendly habit of bypassing the pilot stage of series as well, will air the premiere as a special preview March 30 following the season finale of Spartacus: Vengeance.

E-mail: Lacey.Rose@THR.com

Twitter: @LaceyVRose