An American period drama television show, The Serpent Queen, will center on the life of Catherine de’ Medici.
All eight episodes of the historical drama will air. Jewish American director Stacie Passon, who wrote and directed the 2018 mystery We’ve Always Lived in the Castle and recently helmed four Dickinson episodes in 2019, is helming the pilot episode and a few others.
This is a summary of everything we know about the upcoming series, including the well-known cast and historical incidents that served as inspiration.
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Where was The Serpent Queen filmed?
The Serpent Queen” was filmed in Amboise, Marseille, Chambord, Villandry, Chenonceaux and Castel Gandolfo in France and Italy. Principal photography for the first season of the landmark series reportedly began in April 2021 and ended in September of the same year.
In a September 2022 interview with Cinemablend, showrunner Erwin Stoff said that even though Season 1 was filmed during the Covid-19 pandemic, the studio benefited.
Even shooting the lens required a stop in Castel Gandolfo, a town in the Lazio region of Italy. On the grounds of the papal palace Castel Gandolfo in Piazza della Libertà they frequently shot Italian scenes. Liv Hill, who played Catherine, talked about what it was like to film in the actual locations where her character had resided for the majority of filming.
The crew of “The Serpent Queen” reportedly camped in Marseille, France’s second-largest city, to shoot several scenes for the show. The French city of Marseille, surrounded by the Rhône and the Gulf of Lion, stands out from the rest of France with its unique culture. There are many historical and maritime museums and it is considered a regional center of culture and leisure.
Learn more about other places in France
The city of Amboise, in central France, famous for having housed the legendary Leonardo da Vinci at the Domaine du Clos Lucé in the department of Indre-et-Loire, is the scene of several important passages of “La Reine Serpent “. Additionally, a well-known fountain created by Max Ernst in the 20th century is located right in front of the market and attracts many tourists.
The cast and crew of “The Serpent Queen” portray the massive fortresses typical of the 16th century using actual historic castles in various locations across France.
In and around the communes of Chenonceaux and Chambord, where the Château de Chenonceau and the Château de Chambord are respectively located, several key scenes were shot on site. The Serpent Queen series also uses the Château de Villandry, located at 3 rue Principale in Villandry, as an essential production location.
True Story Behind The Serpent Queen
In The Serpent Queen, a distinct type of revisionist history is presented. Based on Frieda’s non-fiction biography of the monarch, the television series that will bring the story to life will depict the legendary life and reign of Catherine de’ Medici. It is also clear that the program will deviate from the norm in order to explore unusual aesthetic points of view.
According to Wikipedia, Catherine married Henry, the second child of King Francis I of France and Queen Claude, in 1533, when she was fourteen. Pope Clement VII, Catherine’s uncle, arranged for their union.
Henry preferred his major mistress, Diane de Poitiers, who had enormous influence over him, and did not allow Catherine to participate in matters relating to the administration.
As the mother of the frail 15-year-old King Francis II, Catherine was thrust into political prominence after Henry’s death in 1559. After Francis II’s death in 1560, she was given a wide range of authority and assumed the role of regent. on behalf of his 10-year-old son, King Charles IX.
Catherine was crucial to the reign of Henry III, her third son, after Charles died in 1574. It was only in his final months that he stopped following her advice and he lived seven more months what.
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Catherine’s three sons ruled at a time of almost constant political and religious strife in France. The monarchy dealt with difficult issues. However, Catherine maintained at least a basic level of organization in government institutions, including the monarchy.
Catherine first reached out to the rebellious Calvinist Protestants, or Huguenots as they were later called, and made concessions and compromises with them. However, she was not fully aware of the theological issues driving their movement. Later, driven by fury and frustration, she began to impose strict rules on them.
In return, she was made to answer for the persecutions carried out under the direction of her sons, in particular the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre of 1572, which saw the deaths of many Huguenots in Paris and the rest of France.
Even though some historians have absolved Catherine of blame for the harshest royal decisions, her letters serve as further evidence of her harshness. In reality, the legacy of civil wars has always imposed constraints on its authority. It is unlikely that his sons would have retained power without Catherine.
Meet the cast of the Serpent Queen
Samanta Morton as Catherine De’Medici
Catherine de’Medici is played by English actress Samantha Morton, winner of the BAFTA and the Golden Globe. Morton had established himself as a major player in the independent film industry in the early 2000s.
She appeared in the films In America (2003), for which she received a second Best Actress Oscar nomination, and Morvern Callar (2002), for which she won the BIFA Best Actress Award.
Morton began his career in British television in 1991 as a member of the Central Junior Television Workshop in his home town of Nottingham.
She had guest appearances in two episodes of Cracker, four episodes of Soldier Soldier and one episode of Peak Practice in 1994. She appeared in twelve episodes of the ITV series Band of Gold and had a major role in it (1995–1996 ).
Liv Hill as young Catherine
Having two actors playing the exact role is quite difficult. The main thing to emphasize when telling Catherine’s story is how young she was when she was ripped from her life, thrown into this court and forced to consummate her marriage in front of a large crowd of strangers.
To understand what she did to survive, you must first understand how small she was when she was initially given this mission. Apparently, after attending an audition, Liv was the one who came out on top as the greatest.
She is well known for her roles as Sarah in the 2017 BBC drama Three Girls and the 2017 British film Jellyfish.
Amrita Acharia as Aabis
Norwegian, English and Ukrainian actress Amrita Acharia is Aabis. Aabis was chosen to travel to France with Catherine de’ Medici when she married Henri and was in his company.
Aabis possessed a beauty that frequently aroused the desire of powerful men, making her all that Catherine was not. Once at the French court, Aabis made Catherine jealous. Initially, she was grateful that Catherine saved her from the predatory Pope Clement.
Acharia started his acting career in 2010 with small roles in television programs and short films. She played Irri, the Dothraki servant of Emilia Clarke’s Daenerys Targaryen, in the 2011 season of Game of Thrones.
Lee Ingleby as Prince Henry
Prince Henry is played by Lee Ingleby. Henri seemed to be the ideal prince of which every young woman dreamed. Henri was troubled from an early age that his father had taken him and his brother, the Dauphin François, hostage in Spain and used them as political pawns.
Lee is well known for his appearances as Detective Sergeant and Detective Inspector John Bacchus on the BBC series Inspector George Gently. He also performed the role of Stan Shunpike in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. In the BBC drama The A Word he played Paul Hughes, Joe’s father, a young autistic.
Enzo Cilenti as Ruggieri
Enzo Cilenti plays Cosimo Ruggeri, an Italian occultist and astrologer who advises Catherine de’Medici. In 1998, Cilenti made his debut as Antonio Bellini in the television series Trial & Retribution.
He played Carlo Franceschini, a supporting role, in the BBC spy drama MI-5, and Lenny, a supporting role, in the 2001 comedy Late Night Shopping.
Cilenti has also appeared in various films and television programs, including The Theory of Everything, Supercollider, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Prisoners’ Wives.
Charles Dance as Pope Clement
Pope Clement VII, double champion of the SAGA, is Catherine’s uncle and the one who plans her wedding, played by the English actor Charles Dance.
He was chosen to lead the Catholic Church not because of strong religious beliefs, but rather because the Medici realized that to rule successfully they would have to choose a member of their own family for the position.
In his function as Catherine’s tutor, he organizes her marriage to the French prince. He paid little heed to his deceptive promises, such as the offer of a large dowry, leaving Catherine to suffer the repercussions of his conduct.
Dance has built a remarkable career since his screen debut in 1974. One of his first major roles came in the 1984 drama The Jewel in the Crown, where he played Guy Perron. He played Dr. Jonathan Clemens, a central role in the 1992 film Alien 3.
George Jaques as François II & Kiruna Stamel as Mathilde
François II, firstborn of Catherine de Médicis and monarch from 1559 to 1560, is George Jaques. Jaques recently made a guest appearance as a German soldier in the 2022 Agatha Christie thriller. In addition to filming the TV series A Town Called Malice, he is also finishing post-production on his upcoming film, Surprised by Oxford. , and his next film.
At the monastery where Catherine de’ Medici was raised, Mathilde, a small role played by actress Kiruna Stamel, was hired as a servant. Because she accompanied Catherine when she entered the court of France, Mathilde owes Catherine her freedom.
Given Catherine’s inherent moral irrationality, Mathilde suited her perfectly. The Moulin Rouge is well known in Kiruna. (2001), The Best Offer (2013) and EastEnders (1985). (1985).
The Serpent Queen was mainly filmed in Italy and France
Colm Meaney as King Francis
Due to his inflated ego, voracious appetite, and previous military skills, Colm Meaney portrays King Francis as violent, arrogant, and easily in charge of power.
The actor, who portrayed Thomas Durant in the movie Hell on Wheels, also made guest appearances on shows such as Law & Order and The Simpsons (2011-2016).
