Factual

BBC Arts has commissioned Academy Award-winning PASSION PICTURES to make an insightful new three-part boxset documentary series on one of Hollywood’s most famous names.

Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar (w/t) is Executive Produced by Kari Lia, Hamish Fergusson and Kim Kardashian, and will feature privileged access to those who knew her best, including members of Elizabeth Taylor’s family, friends, and colleagues from throughout her stellar career.

For too long the story of Elizabeth Taylor has been told as a soap opera. The eight marriages, the diamonds, the addictions. This series gives Elizabeth Taylor the significance she richly deserves, in all her incarnations: as an actor, rebel, business mogul, and activist – to reveal how Taylor created the blueprint for modern celebrity.

The series will take a deep dive into Taylor’s craft and technique as an actor – one who mesmerised cinemagoers, but also changed the relationship between audiences and stars. We’ll see how she reinvented the nature of fame, even as she smashed the glass ceiling in Hollywood, before going on to become a billion-dollar businesswoman, activist and advocate.

We’ll draw on never-before-heard audio tapes, interviews, and unseen TV footage, alongside rich archive of her movies. The series will also feature interviews with a range of high-profile stars who knew Taylor personally - including Kim Kardashian, who conducted the last interview with her before she died, Dame Joan Collins, a friend and Hollywood contemporary who competed with Elizabeth for the role of Cleopatra, Margaret O’Brien, who went to school with her on the MGM backlot, close friend Carole Bayer Sager, leading scientist Dr. Anthony Fauci who worked alongside Elizabeth in the fight against AIDS, and others. Each has a unique insight into a different aspect of Taylor’s story.

This definitive three-part series will reveal the life and times of a superstar who transformed not just Hollywood but fame itself, as she went from child star to highest-paid actress in the world.

Each episode will examine how she broke down barriers in every part of her life – and the price she paid for defying convention.

Kim Kardashian, Executive Producer says: "Elizabeth Taylor was unapologetically herself, a fighter. She is proof that you can keep evolving and changing and have different chapters in your life - and she paved the way for all of us who came after her with that blueprint.”

Alistair Pegg, Commissioning Editor at the BBC says: “This exciting series promises a new understanding of Elizabeth Taylor – both her technique and power as an actor, and her capacity for reinventing herself.”

Hamish Fergusson, Creative Director and Executive Producer at Passion Pictures said: “Elizabeth developed and defined our understanding of stardom and celebrity across decades. A unique talent and true luminary, we’re hugely excited to explore her extraordinary life and enduring legacy.”

Céire Clark, Senior Acquisitions Manager at Fremantle said: "Elizabeth Taylor led an extraordinary life, and her path to super stardom is a captivating narrative that left an indelible mark on the world. We are delighted to be working with the fantastic teams at Passion Pictures and BBC Arts. We are thrilled to share Elizabeth’s sensational story and a glimpse into the life of a true icon, with our international partners.”

A Passion Pictures production for BBC Arts, Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar (w/t) is distributed internationally by Fremantle. James House is the Series Director and Jemma Chisnall is the Series Producer. The Commissioning Editor for the BBC is Alistair Pegg.

Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar (w/t) is in production and will air on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer