Catherine de Medici Drama Series a Go at Starz
Courtesy of Harper Collins
Justin Haythe will pen the script for The Serpent Queen, based on the book by author Leonie Frieda as the premium cable network continues to explore famous women in history.
Starz continues to explore famous women in history.
The Lionsgate-backed premium cable network has gone straight to series on drama
The Serpent Queen, a drama based on the book
Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France by Leonie Frieda.
Justin Haythe (
Revolutionary Road, The Lone Ranger) will pen the script and exec produce the eight-episode drama. Frances Lawrence (
Michelle Pfeiffer would star as Betty Ford in the anthology series “
The First Lady.” The network also announced that Oscar, Emmy, and Golden Globe winner Susanne Bier would direct and executive produce the project, which also stars and is executive produced by Oscar, Emmy and Tony winner Viola Davis, who will play former first lady Michelle Obama.
The description reads, “The First Lady is a revelatory reframing of American leadership, told through the lens of the women at the heart of the White House.”
Produced by Showtime and Lionsgate Television, the series is executive produced by Oscar-winner Cathy Schulman, Viola Davis, Julius Tennon, Andrew Wang, Jeff Gaspin, and Brad Kaplan, and created by author Aaron Cooley, who will write several of the episodes and executive produce. The announcement was made by Amy Israel, Executive Vice President, Scripted Programming, Showtime Networks Inc.
Michelle Pfeiffer Set To Bring Betty Ford To The Small Screen In The First Lady
Variety s Joe Otterson, the 62-year-old star of films like
Batman Returns, Scarface and
The Fabulous Baker Boys is set to bring Betty Ford the wife of the 38th President of the United States, Gerald Ford to the small screen in the forthcoming series,
The First Lady.
Pfeiffer joins a cast that will also feature Emmy, Oscar and Tony-winning actress Viola Davis as Michelle Obama.
Variety further reported that
The Undoing director Susanne Bier has come to terms on a deal to direct and executive produce the anthology series, which is a joint production of Showtime and Lionsgate Television.
The First Lady
OSCAR NOMINEE MICHELLE PFEIFFER JOINS OSCAR WINNER VIOLA DAVIS IN THE FIRST LADY (w/t) FOR SHOWTIME
OSCAR WINNER SUSANNE BIER TO DIRECT ALL EPISODES
Anthology Series To Star Pfeiffer as Betty Ford, With Davis Executive Producing via JuVee Productions and Starring as Michelle Obama
Oscar Winner Cathy Schulman To Executive Produce; Created by Aaron Cooley
LOS ANGELES – January 21, 2021 – SHOWTIME has announced that Oscar and Emmy® nominee and Golden Globe® winner Michelle Pfeiffer (French Exit) will star as Betty Ford and Oscar, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Susanne Bier (The Undoing) will direct and executive produce the anthology series THE FIRST LADY (w/t), starring and executive produced by Oscar, Emmy and Tony winner Viola Davis (Ma Rainey s Black Bottom), who will play former first lady Michelle Obama. THE FIRST LADY is a revelatory reframing of American leadership, told through the lens of the women at the heart of th