Starz renews ‘Black Sails,’ plans Cuba-set drama called ‘Havana Quartet’ starring Antonio Banderas

Starz has renewed its Michael Bay drama “Black Sails� for a fourth season and announced it is developing “Havana Quartet,� a drama based on the Leonardo Padura detective book series that will star Antonio Banderas.

The premium cable network was up to bat Friday at the Television Critics Assn. press tour in Beverly Hills. And Starz CEO Chris Albrecht took that time to announce some housekeeping matters regarding its scripted slate.

Production on the fourth season of “Black Sails� will resume in South Africa this fall, ahead of the drama’s third-season launch in 2016.

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The first two seasons of the drama, which stars Toby Stephens as the feared pirate Captain Flint, averaged 4.5 million viewers, when taking into account views across platforms and DVR playbacks.

Albrecht also announced the network is developing “Havana Quartet,� based on the four-book detective series (“Havana Blue,� “Havana Gold,� “Havana Red,� and “Havana Black�) by Cuban novelist Padura. In addition to serving as an executive producer, Banderas will play hard-drinking Cuban police detective Mario Conde, who aspired to be a writer but ended up a police guy.

Full coverage: Television Crtitics Association press tour 2015

“It’s set in the ‘90s, when the Communist dream was starting to fray at the edges,� Albrecht told reporters.

Cuban writer Eduardo Machado (“Magic City�) will write the pilot and executive produce, alongside Banderas, Nadcon Film’s Peter Nadermann, and Julia Sereny and Jennifer Kawaja of Sienna Films.

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