One of the more critically-acclaimed movies of 1998 is getting a surprise sequel. "Elizabeth", Director Shekar Kapur's beautifully brutal and complex dark tale of the early days of the reign of Queen Elizabeth the First, not only launched Cate Blanchett's career into stardom (and garnered her an Oscar nomination) but delivered one of the best 'understated' on-screen performances of the last few years in the form of Geoffrey Rush as her loyal but utterly ruthless personal assassin Sir Francis Walsingham.

Now, The Daily Telegraph reports that six years later, Kapur is working on a sequel which is going under the working title of "Golden Age". Blanchett is expected to take the throne again and star in the epic although Kapur says "it depends on Cate's schedule and my schedule as to when we start shooting".

The script, which Michael Hirst is working on, is expected to be ready in six months and will follow on with further exploration of her reign including the famed sea battles with Spain - "It is about the battle between her life as a monarch and her personal life. It ends in the destruction of the Spanish Armada on the larger level". No word on whether other cast members like Rush, Emily Mortimer or Joseph Fiennes will be back.

Thanks to 'Katy Grin'.