PREMIUM SPOTLIGHT ON GAME OF THRONES HIGH FANTASY EPIC TV SERIES PREQUEL HOUSE OF THE DRAGON WHICH ARRIVES THIS AUGUST

 HOUSE OF THE DRAGON 

OPENS COURT THIS AUGUST

The show starts August 21st

Do not expect any likeable characters, that is what George R. R. Martin said about his new epic television series HOUSE OF THE DRAGON which will fly into HBO and HBO Max August  21st. Now I don't know why would anyone then even watch it, but I'm sure there are masochist among you. Below, you can watch the exciting trailer for the series aired at Comic Con this month! If this one proves successful, HBO has at least three other series based on his books in the works. The series will feature a new throne made out of almost 2,500 swords borrowed from Warcraft and Witcher adaptations.

It will have ten episode first season

WHAT IS THE STORY

Based on George R.R. Martin’s “Fire & Blood,” the series, which is set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, tells the story of House Targaryen. Paddy Considine leads the cast as King Viserys Targaryen Viserys, who was chosen by the lords of Westeros to succeed the Old King, Jaehaerys Targaryen, at the Great Council at Harrenhal. A warm, kind, and  decent man, Viserys only wishes to carry forward his grandfather’s legacy, but as we’ve learned from Game of Thrones, good men do not necessarily make for great kings.

 

WHO IS IN THE HOUSE? 

Matt Smith is Prince Daemon Targaryen, the younger brother to King Viserys and heir to the throne. A peerless warrior and a dragonrider, Daemon possesses the true blood of the dragon. But it is said that whenever a  Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin in the air… Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) is the daughter of Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, and the most comely woman in the Seven Kingdoms. She was raised in the Red Keep, close to the king and his innermost circle; she possesses both a courtly grace and a keen political acumen. Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy), who is the lead protagonist of the ten episode show, is the king’s first-born child. She is of pure Valyrian blood, and she is a  dragonrider. Many would say that Rhaenyra was born with everything… but she was not born a man. Lord Corlys Velaryon, “The Sea Snake” (Steve Toussaint) is the lord of House Velaryon, a Valyrian bloodline as old as House Targaryen. As “The Sea Snake,” the most famed nautical adventurer in the history of Westeros, Lord Corlys built his house into a powerful seat that is even richer than the Lannisters and that claims the largest navy in the world. Princess Rhaenys Velaryon (Eve Best) is a dragonrider and wife to Lord Corlys Velaryon, "The Queen Who Never Was" was passed over as heir to the throne at the Great Council because the realm favored her cousin, Viserys, simply for being male. Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), of Dornish descent, is the common-born son of the steward to the Lord of Blackhaven. He has no claim to land or titles; all he has to his name is his honor and his preternatural skill with a sword. Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno) came to Westeros with nothing, sold more times than she can recall, and she could have wilted... but instead she rose to become the most trusted - and most unlikely - ally of Prince Daemon Targaryen, the heir to the throne. Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) is the Hand of the King, who loyally and faithfully serves both his king and his realm. As the Hand sees it, the greatest threat to the realm is the king's brother, Daemon, and his position as heir to the throne. 

FAMILY SATURDAY: TRAILER FOR SEAN BEAN'S NEW BBC SERIES MARRIAGE, VIRGINIE EFIRA'S MOVIE DRAMA OTHER PEOPLE'S CHILDREN, THE MATTACHINE FAMILY DRAMA WITH NICO TORTORELLA, JUAN PABLO DI PACE

  THE MATTACHINE FAMILY  

LOVE YOUR CHOSEN FAMILY

The Mattachine Family is in post production

We are all family oriented today, spylings, starting with the first poster for movie drama THE MATTACHINE FAMILY which is currently in post production under the helm of Andy Vallentine who also wrote the script. Gorgeous Nico Tortorella and Fuller House's Juan Pablo Di Pace play a gay couple in this warm drama which revolves around Thomas and Oscar who are very much in love, but after their first foster child returns to his birth mother, they find that they have different ideas about what it means to make a family. Emily Hampshire also stars in this film which does not currently have a scheduled release date nor a trailer.

 MARRIAGE BBC ONE SERIES 

STARRING SEAN BEAN

British broadcaster BBC One will launch a new four part family series MARRIAGE from August 14th as their new Sunday night series starring Sean Bean and Nicola Walkers as a long-time couple approaching their 27th wedding anniversary! The series explores the hopes and fears of their marriage, from insecurities and jealousies to funny, moving moments. In one of the scenes in the trailer you can see that he is also jealous of her young boss played by Henry Lloyd Hughes. The drama will explore the risks and the gifts of a long-term intimate relationship, sometimes funny, sometimes moving, always revealing.

 

 OTHER PEOPLE'S CHILDREN 

STARRING VIRGINIE EFIRA

Our favourite among the new European movie stars, deadly gorgeous Virginie Efira stars in OTHER'S PEOPLE CHILDREN movie drama from director

Other People's Children is out this year

Rebecca Zlotowski which will have its world premiere over at Venice Film Festival. The film follows Rachel who loves her life, her students, her friends, her ex, and her guitar lessons. When she falls in love with Ali, she grows close to his 4-year-old daughter, Leila. She tucks her in, looks after her, and loves her like a mother… which she isn’t. Not yet. Rachel is 40. The desire for a family of her own is growing stronger, and the clock is ticking. The movie asks: Is it too late?

TV UPDATES: ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL, MISS SCARLET AND THE DUKE GET THIRD SEASONS! WARRIOR EPIC TV SERIES THIRD SEASON STARTS SHOOTING FOR HBO MAX

  SHORT TV HEADLINES 

ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL THIRD SEASON 

Short TV updates for you today, starting with news from PBS who have announced that ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL series will return with the third season January 8th following everybody's favourite country vet,

Season three will arrive this Autumn in UK

played by Nicholas Ralph, in six new episodes plus a Christmas one. In Europe, third season will probably arrive before that, in September. All of the cast returns for the new season. In the third season the cantankerous Siegfried (Simon West) will navigate his relationship with younger brother and blossoming vet Tristan (Callum Woodhouse), and will also have to confront his own past with World War I coming back to haunt him. Meanwhile, Mrs. Hall (Anna Madeley) and Helen (Rachel Shenton) have similar challenges in this season, with Helen trying to balance being a wife and leaving behind a previous life and having to navigate what that’s like, and Mrs. Hall figuring out if there’s a life outside Skeldale House. The spread of tuberculosis also plays a major role in Season 3 and James must learn how to go about those procedures.

MISS SCARLET AND THE DUKE

Although PBS is yet to air the second season from October 16th after already airing in UK last month, MISS SCARLET AND THE DUKE will launch the third season too from January 8th on PBS for the audience in USA. This means the third season of the series which follows Britain's first female detective will arrive to Europe sometime this Autumn ahead of the US premiere. On Sunday October 16th, PBS Masterpiece will also start Lesley Manville's Magpie Murders which already streamed in Europe on Britbox.

WARRIOR SEASON THREE

Meanwhile, after a two year break, the third season of WARRIOR series has begun shooting for HBO Max where it had moved from Cinemax.

The third season will air on HBO Max

The series takes place during the brutal Tong Wars of San Francisco’s Chinatown in the late 19th century.  Andrew Koji returns as Ah Sahm, Olivia Cheng as Ah Toy, Jason Tobin as Young Jun, Dianne Doan as Mai Ling, Kieran Bew as Bill O’Hara, Dean Jagger as Dylan Leary, Tom Weston Jones as Richard Lee, Hoon Lee as Wang Chao, Joe Taslim as Li Yong, Langley Kirkwood as Walter Buckley, Perry Yung as Father Jun, with new additions in Mark Dacascos as Kong Pak, the former leader of a newly absorbed, Long Zii-affiliated tong and Li Yong’s old friend and mentor, and Chelsea Muirhead as Yan Mi, the unassuming but shrewd daughter of a local print shop maker based in Chinatown. The ten episode third season will arrive next year, hopefully.

SAMANTHA MORTON IS DELICIOUSLY RUTHLESS IN SERPENT QUEEN EPIC TV SERIES TRAILER! TRAILER & RELEASE DATE FOR CZECH HISTORICAL HERO JAN ZIZKA EPIC BIOPIC MEDIEVAL WITH BEN FOSTER, MICHAEL CAINE, MATTHEW GOODE, WILLIAM MOSELEY, TIL SCHWEIGER

 SERPENT QUEEN TRAILER 

THE ROYAL VILLAINESS

After those first photos that I showed you last week from THE SERPENT QUEEN series, Starz has just sent us the first epic trailer for the historical series about infamous Catherine de Medici revealing that the series will launch September 11th, much sooner than we expected. Samantha Morton leads the cast portraying the French queen and descendant of the legendary Italian noble family who believed it's safer to be feared than loved especially as life wasn't really kind to her forcing her to become cunning, sly and above all ruthless.

 

 

   FIRST MEDIEVAL  

TRAILER FROM THE CZECH EPIC!

We finally have the first full trailer for new historical adventure MEDIEVAL which sees American actor Ben Foster playing Czech national

Medieval arrives September 8th!

hero and warlord Jan Zizka who was
 a powerful figure in the famous Hussite wars in the medieval times. With the massive budget of about $20 million, the new historical movie was shot on the sets near Prague and around Czech republic. Superhunky Czech actor and judo champion Petr Jakl has both written and directed the movie! He is not the only athlete in the production as legendary Czech decathlon world recorder Roman Sebrle is also in the cast! International theatre release is now scheduled for September 9th when it will hit US cinemas as well with September 8th release in Czech republic.

WHAT'S THE MOVIE ABOUT? 

Ben Foster takes the lead role in the film

MEDIEVAL will follow their 14th century national hero Jan Zizka of Trocnov (Ben Foster), a revered military tactician who defeated armies of the Teutonic Order and the Holy Roman Empire. He is known for his innovative strategies and for quickly training peasants to face skilled and armoured  opponents who usually outnumbered his own troops. The historical adventure film will also have another storyline which will revolve around his relationship with king's lover, a rich heiress Catherine (Sophie Lowe), whom he is sent to save but unexpectedly falls in love with her, while another storyline will describe his fight against a rival king.

The film should be out this September

WHO ELSE IS IN THE CAST?

Our favourite William Moseley plays Jan's brother Jaroslav, legendary Michael Caine is Lord Boresh the right hand of Czech King Wenceslaus and German superstar Til Schweiger is Rosenberg, the richest lord in the kingdom. British thespian Matthew Goode will portray King Sigismund of  Hungary and Croatia, the brother of Czech King Wenceslaus, and if my eyes are not playing with me he will have a blondish hair in the movie! Czech actor Karel Roden is playing King Wenceslaus himself! 

KATE WINSLET TO LEAD HBO'S THE PALACE SERIES! ROLAND EMMERICH PRODUCING GLADIATOR SERIES THOSE ABOUT TO DIE FOR PEACOCK! ECHOES NETFLIX SERIES TRAILER WITH MICHELLE MONAGHAN, MATT BOMER

 KATE WINSLET TO LEAD 

THE PALACE TV SERIES

After her award winning gigs in Mildred Pearce and Mare of Easttown, Kate Winslet will star in another new mini TV series over at HBO. Titled THE PALACE it will be directed and produced by the amazing Stephen Frears. The only thing revealed of the plot is the following: it tells the story of one year within the walls of the palace of an authoritarian regime as it begins to unravel! I've already told you that Winslet will also lead HBO'S THE TRUST mini series about a wealthy financier upset about how he and his wife are portrayed in a book based on his life.

  THOSE ABOUT TO DIE  

ANCIENT ROME SET SERIES

The series will shoot next year

Rival Peacock has given a straight to series order to Roland Emmerich's TV series adaptation of THOSE ABOUT TO DIE non fiction book by Daniel Mannix. The large-scale drama, set within the spectacular, complex and corrupt world of gladiatorial sports in Ancient Rome, introduces an ensemble of diverse characters across the many layers of Roman society where sports, politics and business intersect and collide. The $140 million worth series to start shooting next year in Italy, will have Saving Private Ryan's Robert Rodat as the writer. While the series will be epic in scope and have the spectacle of gladiators and chariot racing, it also has unexpected characters amidst palace intrigue and a dark criminal underworld. 

 ECHOES SERIES TRAILER  

FOR NETFLIX' NEW THRILLER

Netflix has sent us the first trailer for their August 19th thriller series ECHOES in which Michelle Monaghan plays identical twins Leni and Gina, who

Echoes start August 19th!

share a dangerous secret. Since they were children, Leni and Gina have secretly swapped lives, culminating in a double life as adults: they share two homes, two husbands and a child, but everything in their perfectly choreographed world is thrown into disarray when one of the sisters goes missing. As Gina digs into her sister’s mysterious disappearance the question becomes: Has Leni just run away? But from what? Or is she actually dead? Matt Bomer and Daniel Sunjata play the twins’ husbands in the seven episode drama.

DANIEL GILLIES JOINS SAM REID, ANNA TORV IN 2ND SEASON OF THE AWARD WINNING THE NEWSREADER TV SERIES! DISNEY DEVELOPING ERAGON TV SERIES ADAPTATION

 NEWSREADER SEASON TWO 

CASTS DANIEL GILLIES

Daniel Gillies is the new cast addition

As you know it was our favourite Australian series last year and after winning tons of awards, THE NEWS READER is currently airing on Roku in US and BBC 2 in UK, while the second season is shooting Down Under. Deadline reports that Daniel Gillies is a new regular joining our dearest Sam Reid, Anna Torv, William McInnes and Robert Taylor in the series set in the cutthroat world of 1980s TV news in Melbourne, Australia. Gillies will play Charlie, a privileged first-born son of an aging newspaper mogul, desperate to make his own mark in the world.

Sam Reid returns as young reporter Dale Jennings, desperate to become a newsreader, who is paired with notoriously ‘difficult’ star newsreader Helen Norville (Torv) over three months, during which time they cover an extraordinary news events — from the shock of the Challenger explosion, to the hype of Halley’s Comet, to the complexities of the AIDS crisis. The end of the first season saw him succeeding in his plans and becoming a TV star and Helen finding out he is bisexual.

 

  ERAGON TV SERIES  

ORDERED AT DISNEY PLUS

The series is in early stages of development

Meanwhile, Disney Plus is in early stages of developing Christopher Paolini's saga ERAGON into a TV series.  “The Inheritance Cycle”, which has four books, tells the story of a farmboy named Eragon who discovers an egg that hatches into a dragon he names Saphira. Through their bond and the help of his mentor Brom, Eragon learns to be a Dragon Rider, an ancient order that had long been thought to be wiped out by the evil king Galbatorix. Eragon and Saphira set out to defeat Galbatorix and free the land of Alagaësia from his tyranny. Your spy was one of the European translators of the saga back in the days.

SEE SAM REID AS LESTAT IN THE FIRST TRAILER FOR INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE TV SERIES STARTING THIS OCTOBER

 INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE

1ST TV SERIES TRAILER IS HERE

The series will arrive this October to AMC

During the Comic Con this weekend, AMC released the first full trailer for their INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE series revealing it will start October 2nd! The adaptation of Anne Rice’s iconic gothic horror novel, will see Jacob Anderson playing a 200 year-old vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac as he recounts his bloody life story to a reporter, particularly focusing on his romance with the vampire that turned him, Lestat de Lioncourt (our dearest boy Sam Reid), and the twisted family unit they form with their 10 year-old vampire “daughter” Claudia played by Bailey Bass. The seven episode series is set in jazzy New Orleans and is a modernised version of the old story.

ENTER THE KINGDOM OF DREAM IN THE SANDMAN EPIC TV SERIES STARTING THIS AUGUST WITH TOM STURRIDGE, CHARLES DANCE, JENNA COLEMAN, JOELY RICHARDSON, STEPHEN FRY

  THE SANDMAN EPIC SERIES  

DREAM THE WORLD ANEW

The series streams August 5th

There is not much to expect in the scorching month of August, I can tell you that right now, but what I can definitely promise you is that we are getting a visit from the god of dreams himself when THE SANDMAN ten episode fantasy drama television series based on the 1989–1996 comic book written by Neil Gaiman and published by DC Comics starts streaming from August 5th. The series was developed by Gaiman, David S. Goyer, and Allan Heinberg! You can check out the rather expensive looking brand new trailer released today down below:

The show will have ten episodes

 

 

ENTER THE KINGDOM OF DREAM

A wizard attempting to capture Death to bargain for eternal life traps her younger brother Dream instead. And thus, in 1916, Morpheus, the king of dreams and one of the seven Endless, is captured in an occult ritual. Fearful for his safety, the wizard kept him imprisoned in a glass bottle for many decades. After being held captive for 106 years, Morpheus escapes and sets out to restore order to his kingdom of the Dreaming. After his escape, Dream, also known as Morpheus, goes on a quest for his lost objects of power.

Tom Sturridge leads the cast

WHO IS IN THE CAST?

The cast is lead by Tom Sturridge as Morpheus, the king of dreams and ruler of the Dreaming. Gwendoline Christie is Lucifer Morningstar: The ruler of Hell. Vivienne Acheampong is Lucienne, the librarian of the Dreaming, while Boyd Holbrook is The Corinthian: A nightmare who escaped the Dreaming. Charles Dance is Sir Roderick Burgess: A charlatan occultist. Asim Chaudhry is Abel, a resident of the Dreaming, while Sanjeev Bhaskar is Cain. Kirby Howell-Baptiste is Death: Dream's kinder and wiser sister. Mason Alexander Park is Desire: Dream's androgynous sibling. Donna Preston is Despair: Dream's deformed sister who is twins with Desire. Jenna Coleman is Johanna Constantine: An occult detective investigating the Dreaming. Coleman plays two versions of the character: the eighteenth century-residing ancestor Lady Johanna Constantine and her present day descendant! Joely Richardson is Ethel Cripps: Burgess' fiancee and the mother of John Dee. Niamh Walsh is young Ethel Cripps. David Thewlis is Dr. John Dee: Cripps's son whose endeavor to find "truth" jeopardizes the world. Stephen Fry is Fiddler's Green / Gilbert: A mythical place of the Dreaming! Mark Hamill is the voice of Mervyn Pumpkinhead: A chain-smoking janitor whose head resembles a jack-o'-lantern.

PARAMOUNT ORDERS THE DOLL FACTORY PERIOD SET TV SERIES ADAPTATION OF ELIZABETH MACNEAL'S VICTORIAN NOVEL

   THE DOLL FACTORY  

PERIOD SET TV SERIES

Paramount + has ordered a six episode TV series adaptation of Elizabeth Macneal's novel THE DOLL FACTORY which will also air on SBS in Australia and

It will be a six episode TV series

TVNZ. Set in London in 1850, it follows Iris, who paints dolls for a living alongside her twin sister, Rose, and dreams of becoming an artist and by night secretly paints herself naked. Silas is a taxidermist who owns a shop filled with his creations. He dreams of one day finding an item so unique he will be catapulted to fame. Louis is a painter and member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, searching for his next muse. When Iris meets Silas, and then Louis, she is offered an opportunity to escape and start a new life. To do so, she must abandon her sister, sacrifice her reputation, and launch herself into the unknown. But as Iris’ world expands, a story of dark obsession begins to unfold.

JONATHAN KELTZ JOINS OLIVER JACKSON COHEN, JENNA COLEMAN IN AMAZON'S THRILLER TV SERIES WILDERNESS! THE RINGS OF POWER EPIC TV SERIES FULL TRAILER IS HERE WITH SAURON AND BALROG!

 WILDERNESS TV SERIES ADS 

 JENNA COLEMAN, JONATHAN KELTZ, OLIVER JACKSON COHEN

I have missed our dearest Jonathan Keltz since Reign, but he will now star in Amazon's new series WILDERNESS which also has our sweet Oliver Jackson Cohen, Eric Balfour and Jenna Coleman in the cast. Based on B.E. Jones’ novel it follows British couple Liv (Coleman) and Will (Jackson-Cohen) who seem to have it all: a rock-solid marriage; a glamorous new life in New York thousands of miles from their provincial hometown; and still young enough to feel that their whole lives are ahead of them. Until Liv learns about Will’s affair. Heartbreak is swiftly followed by another emotion: fury. Revenge is her only option, and when Will proposes a trip around America’s epic National Parks to give their relationship a fresh start, Liv knows just how to get it!

 THE RINGS OF POWER  

EPIC SERIES TRAILER IS HERE!

Over at Comic Con, Amazon has just unveiled the first full  trailer for their epic TV series LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER which arrives September 2nd. And the trailer has it all: from Galadriel, to Sauron, and evil Balrog! The eight part $500 million worth first season will take us on a visit to many different places in Middle Earth both human, Elven and Dwarven. Morfydd Clark, Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Maxim Baldry, Ismael Cruz Córdova and Benjamin Walker are just some of the names from the huge cast. Check out the trailer below:

RUPERT EVERETT, MALCOLM MCDOWELL, KIM ROSSI STEWART TO LEAD AMAZON'S MONEY HEIST SERIES EVERYBODY LOVES DIAMONDS! CHRIS PINE, HUGH GRANT, REGE JEAN PAGE IN DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS TRAILER! BUCCANEERS PERIOD SET SERIES ADS SOME GENTS

 EVERYBODY LOVES DIAMONDS

RUPERT EVERETT, MALCOLM MCDOWELL JOIN ITALIAN SERIES

To be aired next year by Amazon Prime Video in more than 250 countries around the world is EVERYBODY LOVES DIAMONDS high-end show about a group of thieves led by Sicilian mastermind Leonardo Notarbartolo (insanely gorgeous Kim Rossi Stewart) who in 2003 managed to circumvent the advanced security system of the Antwerp Diamond Center and steal precious stones worth more than $100 million. Rupert Everett and Malcolm McDowell will also star in this series spanning different periods and decades.

 THE BUCCANEERS SERIES 

ADS SOME BOYS TO THE CAST

After Christina Hendricks a few days ago, Apple TV has now added some gents to the cast of their period set series THE BUCCANEERS about a group of fun-loving young American girls exploding into the tightly corseted London season of the 1870s, kicking off an Anglo-American culture clash and

Josh Dylan, Guy Remmers, Barney Fishwick, Matthew Broome

the disregard of centuries of tradition. Josh Dylan will play Lord Richard Marable, a repressed English lord swept up in a holiday romance with fiery American heiress Conchita. Guy Remmers is English bachelor Theo, Duke of Tintagel, Matthew Broome is charming English playboy Guy Thwarte and Barney Fishwick is Marable’s brother Lord James Seadown.

 DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS 

HONOR AMONG THIEVES TRAILER

Launching Comic Con this year is first trailer for video game movie adaptation DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES which arrives next March starring Chris Pine, Hugh Grant, Rege Jean  Page and Michelle Rodrigues. A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves brings the rich world and playful spirit of the legendary roleplaying game to the big screen in a hilarious and action-packed adventure.

BEHOLD SAMANTHA MORTON AS CATHERINE DE MEDICI AND HER ROYAL COURT IN THE SERPENT QUEEN EPIC TV SERIES LAVISH PHOTOS!

  THE SERPENT QUEEN  

BEHOLD THE COURTIERS!

A couple of weeks ago I brought you an exclusive list of all the period set shows we can expect to arrive to us this Autumn, and beside Lord of the Rings

The series will start September 11th on Starz

series The Rings of Power, THE SERPENT QUEEN is probably our most anticipated one. Starz has now given us first lavish photos from this new

Samantha Morton plays Catherine de Medici herself

eight part historical series in which Samantha Morton plays one of the most frightening queens of all times - Catherine de Medici of France! We can only

Charles Dance is the pope, Catherine's uncle

hope that the show will be better than their last dramas about famous queens - the godawful Spanish Princess and painfully almost atrociously dull Becoming Elizabeth. 

 

WHAT'LL THE SERIES BE ABOUT?

Scheming and cunning, Catherine de Medici was one of the most powerful women in the world. After becoming an orphaned teenager from the famous ruling family of Medici and then marrying into the 16th century

Liv Hill is a rather strange choice for young Catherine

French court she is expected to bring a hefty dowry and produce many heirs, but Catherine discovers her husband is already in love with another woman and then, her dowry remains unpaid and she learns she is unable to conceive. But with intelligence and determination, she keeps her marriage alive,

Diane de Poitiers is strangely ugly in the series for some reason

mastering the bloodsport of the monarchy and ruling France for 50 years. In THE SERPENT QUEEN, Catherine tells her story through flashbacks, defending her actions and imparting lessons she's learned to her new servant, Rahima (Sennia Nanua). When her uncle Pope Clement (Charles Dance)

Mary Queen of Scots and her ladies in waiting

brokers her marriage and a geopolitical alliance with France, but she learns on her wedding night that her husband is in love with Diane de Poitiers (Ludivine Sagnier), a stunningly beautiful lady-in-waiting who is twice the king-to-be's age. Catherine is thrust into a world where she must learn quickly who she can trust and seek to outmaneuver anyone who underestimates her.

Ludivine Sagnier is the strangest choice for Diane de Poitiers

The rest of the cast includes Liv Hill as the younger version of Catherine, Antonia Clarke as Catherine's daughter in law Mary Queen of Scots, whom Catherine sent back to Scotland after her son Francis (George Jacques) died and she officially became regent in her own right on behalf of her 10-year-old son Charles IX. She then ruled France for three years by herself until Charles

Liv Hill as the rather unattractive and dull young Catherine

reached his maturity. After Charles died in 1574, Catherine also played a key role in the reign of her third son, Henry III. He outlived her by just seven months. She was generally despised in history seen as enemy by both Catholics and Hugenots and scary to common folks who were afraid of her love for all things occult - her pet astrologer was famous Nostradamus.

WHO ARE THE COURTIERS?

Raza Jaffrey will appear as Duke Francois Guise,the leader of Catholics. Colm Meaney is Catherine's husband king of France. Enzo Cilenti will play Ruggieri, the magician  and soothsayer! Barry Atsma will be famous Montmorency, who cares about the greater good of the society he serves as its

Senia Nanua is Catherine's servant Rahima

foremost military leader. Nicholas Burns portrays Antoine de Bourbon, the rival of Catherine's Valois family. Danny Kirrane is Louis de Bourbon, his stronger willed and more intelligent brother! Memet Ali Alabora will appear as Sultan Suleiman! Adam Garcia will probably be Nostradamus but that is just my guess.