The Serpent Queen has been cancelled by Starz after two seasons, but a spinoff of the historical drama could be in the works to replace it.
Deadline reports that Starz has cancelled The Serpent Queen after two seasons. However, the last season of the historical drama series did plant the seeds for a spinoff series, which is apparently in the works. More on that later.
Based on the book Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France by Leonie Frieda, The Serpent Queen stars Samantha Morton as Catherine de Medici, who, against all odds, became one of the most powerful and longest-serving rulers in French history. The second season, which wrapped up its run in August, concluded with the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, which left many thousands dead. There was obviously still more story to tell, but Starz executives “ultimately felt [the finale] provided a satisfactory conclusion of Catherine’s story for fans.“
Although both seasons of the series were highly rated (scoring 100% on Rotten Tomatoes), viewership for the second season didn’t quite reach the levels Starz had hoped for. That said, Lionsgate had exercised its options on the cast for a third season, meaning that the actors will get paid for the unproduced season 3 episodes. Not bad.
Now, about that spinoff. The second season of The Serpent Queen guest starred Minnie Driver as Queen Elizabeth I, and Deadline’s report states that a spinoff revolving around her character is in the works. The Serpent Queen writer/executive producer Justin Haythe and executive producer Erwin Stoff are developing the project. No talent is attached, but it’s expected that Driver would reprise the role.
Starz has aired more than a few royal historical dramas over the years, including several based on Philippa Gregory’s novels, such as The White Queen, The White Princess, and The Spanish Princess. I’ll confess that I’ve got a soft spot for these types of historical dramas, but I never got around to checking out The Serpent Queen. Better late than never, I suppose.
Are there any fans of The Serpent Queen out there upset to see the series get cancelled?