In the Trailer for Starz's 'Dangerous Liaisons' Prequel, Love is War

In recent years, premium cable network Starz has become a force to be reckoned with in the female-fronted genre space. One of the few networks that seem not only willing but eager to make content aimed squarely at the interests of female viewers, the result has been an embarrassment of riches for those of us who enjoy costume drama, historical romance, or just stories that are unabashedly centered around strong women. (Or, even better, some combination of all three.)

From time-traveling fantasy (Outlander) to tales of groundbreaking historical women both celebrated (Becoming Elizabeth) and feared (The Serpent Queen), Starz is here to give the people what they want when it comes to tales of boundary-pushing female characters. Next up, the network is set to tackle one of the most infamous women in literature: the Marquise de Merteuil, a self-made striver who nevertheless gets her kicks from sabotaging those that have wronged her.

Though most viewers will be familiar with the character from the 1998 Academy Award-winning feature film rather than the nineteenth-century novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, Starz's new take on Dangerous Liaisons will be a prequel of sorts to both, showing us how Merteuil and her later lover/ex/rival Valmont met and became lovers on the eve of the French Revolution.