Starz Series 'The Serpent Queen' Will Tell the Story of Catherine de Medici
Premium cable network Starz continues to burnish its reputation as a home for female-fronted historical dramas, greenlighting a new adaptation focused on the life of the infamous Catherine de Medici called The Serpent Queen.
This news follows the announcement that the series has also greenlight shows based on the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine and the early years of the princess who would one day go on to be Queen Elizabeth I as part of their commitment to telling stories in a proposed "extraordinary women of history" anthology. The network had already made something of a name for itself in this area with its trilogy of dramas focused on several key female figures of early Tudor England - The White Queen, The White Princess, and The Spanish Princess - all based on the bestselling novels by Philippa Gregory.
The Serpent Queen will be based on the book Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France by Leonie Frieda and will chronicle the life of one of history's most influential - and often controversial - female figures. Published in 2005, Frieda's book is meticulously researched and based on thousands of private letters by the ruthless woman was mother to three kings and wielded extensive political influence over France for much of her life.
