Critically Acclaimed Drama Renewed For A Second Season
The Serpent Queen has earned a second season renewal, on the eve of its first season finale.
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The Walking Dead star Samantha Morton has another hit show, as her historical drama The Serpent Queen has been renewed for a second season with premium cable network Starz, according to a story in The Hollywood Reporter. The first season, which has received solid reviews and strong ratings, airs its finale this weekend. Morton plays the wicked ruler Catherine de Medici, an Italian noble who ruled France in the 1500s after marrying King Henry.
The eight-part series, which premiered on September 11, is based on the Leonie Frieda book Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France.
Kathryn Busby, President of Original Programming at Starz., announced the renewal in a press release. “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,” she said. “We’re thrilled to unveil more of her incredible life and reign in season two, which promises to be even more provocative and sublime.”
The Serpent Queen went into production in 2021, as part of an effort by Starz CEO Jeffrey Hirsch to create prestige programming geared toward women between the ages of 24-54. It was also a deliberate effort to begin telling true-life stories of female historical figures.
While working on the first season of The Serpent Queen, Morton returned to The Walking Dead and her role of Alpha for Tales of the Walking Dead, an anthology series. She appeared in a single episode, which aired earlier this year, in a prequel story before her turn as the leader of The Whisperers, when she was known as Dee. Her role as Alpha has been a fan favorite and a highlight of the zombie apocalypse series, which is already populated with some memorable villain roles.
The British-born Morton made a name for herself on British television in the 1990s before Woody Allen cast her in 1999’s Sweet and Lowdown. That role earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. She lost the Oscar to Angelina Jolie.
She chose a number of roles in smaller, independent films after that, until Steven Spielberg cast her in the role of Agatha, a young girl who can see the future, and is exploited by a futuristic society, in the Tom Cruise action film Minority Report. Also in 2002, she earned her second Academy Award nomination for the film In America, this time as Best Actress in a Leading Role.
After that, she appeared in a wide variety of roles and films, including Code 46, The Libertine, Lassie, and Cosmopolis. She also appeared in the Harry Potter spinoff Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, as well as the series Harlots. Morton will next appear in The Burning Girls, a mystery thriller series for the Paramount+ streaming service.
Lionsgate produces The Serpent Queen, and it also owns the Starz network. 3 Arts Entertainment co-produces the series, with writer and executive producer Justin Haythe (The Lone Ranger). Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games) and Erwin Stoff (The Matrix) also executive produce the series, and will all return for the second season.
In addition to The Serpent Queen, Starz is also home to the series Power, P-Valley, Outlander, Dangerous Liaisons, Blindspotting, Run the World, and Step Up.
