'The Serpent Queen' Tees Up Battle Between Catherine de Medici and Minnie Driver's Queen Elizabeth I

The first season of The Serpent Queen on Starz proved that Catherine De Medici (Samantha Morton) is not to be messed with, but what happens when the “Italian witch” goes toe-to-toe with someone on her level?

Journalists at the 2024 Television Critics Association summer press tour, including TellyVisions, were shown a preview of the upcoming season in which Catherine confronts Queen Elizabeth I, played by a borderline unidentifiable Minnie Driver, about Elizabeth’s dalliance with Catherine’s sons. While many in the French court are terrified of Catherine, Elizabeth doesn’t bat an eye before defending herself to the Queen Regent.

“This Elizabeth was a slightly feral queen,” Minnie Driver told reporters at the TCA. “These are two businesswomen. These are two business people in need, and there was no one else [at their level] at that time. They are recognizing each other.”