Starz's The Serpent Queen Renewed for Season 2
The queen will return to Starz.
The Lionsgate-controlled premium cable network has handed out a second-season renewal for The Serpent Queen. The news comes ahead of this weekend’s season one finale of the drama that stars Samantha Morton as ruthless ruler Catherine de Medici.
“The Serpent Queen is distinctly modern, darkly comedic and completely unexpected,” said Kathryn Busby, the recently installed president of originals at Starz. “Catherine De Medici’s story is the perfect complement to our female-forward slate, and Samantha Morton’s brilliant portrayal of this ruthless, charming and savvy queen anchors the whole production. We’re thrilled to unveil more of her incredible life and reign in season two, which promises to be even more provocative and sublime.”
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Based on the book Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France by Leonie Frieda, The Serpent Queen was ordered straight to series in early 2021 as part of Starz CEO Jeffrey Hirsch’s effort to program the cable network with what he dubbed at the time as “premium female” programming for viewers that focuses on content made for women ages 24-54 who enjoy stories about women in history. (The “premium female” term has since been shifted to “female forward.”)
The series is produced in-house by Lionsgate Television and 3 Arts Entertainment and hails from writer-exec producer Justin Haythe (The Lone Ranger). Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games) and Erwin Stoff (The Matrix) exec produce.
The Serpent Queen is part of a scripted roster at Starz that also includes originals recently renewed P-Valley, Outlander, Dangerous Liaisons, Blindspotting, Run the World, Step Up, the Party Down revival and the Power franchise, among others.
