The Serpent Queen

Casting Samantha Morton as Catherine de' Medici, the 16th-century French Queen, is the subject of the American historical drama television series The Serpent Queen. Based on Leonie Frieda's 2004 nonfiction book Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France, the television series was developed by Justin Haythe. When fourteen-year-old Catherine de' Medici marries into the French Valois court, it is assumed that she will bring in a large dowry and have children. She faces numerous obstacles in life, but a lifetime of astute political scheming enables her to rule France as queen for thirty years. In the second season of "The Serpent Queen," betrayals, power struggles, and conflicts plague Catherine's reign as she works to bring France together. Her hold on authority is questioned. The series starred Samantha Morton, Amrita Acharia, Barry Atsma, Enzo Cilenti, Nicholas Burns and Danny Kirrane in major roles.