Starz continues its dive into Royal rulers with The Serpent Queen starring two-time Oscar nominee Samantha Morton (In America, Sweet and Lowdown). The official trailer declares it’s safer to be feared than loved and shows Catherine de Medici’s approach to ruling France, an approach that earned her the nicknames the Serpent Queen and the Black Queen.
Joining Samantha Morton in bringing Catherine de Medici’s reign to life are Liv Hill, Charles Dance, Ludivine Sagnier, Colm Meaney, Kiruna Stamell, Barry Atsma, Alex Heath, and Amrita Acharia. The ensemble also includes Enzo Cilenti, Antonia Clarke, Adam Garcia, Beth Goddard, Raza Jaffrey, and Ray Panthaki.
Nicholas Burns, Danny Kirrane, and Rupert Everett also star.
The series comes from writer/executive producer Justin Haythe (Red Sparrow) and is based on Leonie Frieda’s book Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France. Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games films), Erwin Stoff (Edge of Tomorrow), and Stacie Passon (Transparent) executive produce. Passon also directs episodes of the drama including the series premiere.
The eight-episode series premieres on Starz on Sunday, September 11, 2022 at 8pm ET/PT.
The Plot:
A historical drama with an edge, The Serpent Queen puts a contemporary spin on conventional storytelling to tell the tale of Catherine de Medici’s (Morton) rise to power. In the series premiere, “Medici Bitch,” Catherine’s tale unfolds through flashbacks as she defends her actions and imparts the lessons she’s learned to her new servant confident, Rahima (Sennia Nanua).
At 14, the young, orphaned Catherine (Hill) marries into the 16th-century French court. Despite her commoner status, her uncle Pope Clement (Dance), has negotiated a large dowry and a geopolitical alliance in return for the union, and with it comes the expectation of many heirs. However, on her wedding night, Catherine learns that her new husband is in love with Diane de Poitiers (Sagnier), a beautiful lady-in-waiting twice his age.
With her future suddenly uncertain and with little hope of conceiving, Catherine must quickly learn who she can trust – both within her personal entourage of courtiers and the members of the royal court – while outmaneuvering anyone who underestimates her determination to survive at any cost.
