Following his starring turn in the upcoming "King of Texas," Patrick Stewart ("Jean-Luc Picard") is set to play yet another kind of royalty. According to Variety, the actor will portray King Henry II of England in a remake of "The Lion in Winter" for Showtime. The remake is based on James Goldman's 1968 Academy Award-winning screenplay for the original movie, which starred Peter O'Toole as Henry and Katherine Hepburn as Queen Eleanor of Acquitaine. Glenn Close will play Queen Eleanor in the Showtime version, which will be produced by Hallmark Entertainment and Flying Freehold Productions.

The film is set in 1183 during the Christmas holidays, as Henry gathers his extended family together — his three sons, his imprisoned wife Eleanor, his mistress, Princess Alais of France, and her brother, King Philip of France. Henry plans to name the successor to his throne, but everyone involved has a stake in the outcome, and the various family members resort to scheming and deception to determine the fate of the empire.

Stewart will also serve as executive producer for "Lion," along with Wendy Neuss Stewart (who produced Star Trek: Voyager and co-produced Star Trek: The Next Generation), Robert Halmi, Sr. and Martin Poll. Poll also produced the original "Lion." Vicki Letizia serves as Showtime's creative executive.

Production kicks off early 2003 in Hungary. Those seeking to get a Stewart fix earlier should tune in to TNT's "King of Texas," which bows June 2 at 8 p.m.

In other Trek-related casting news, the actors behind one of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's most beloved duos both have roles in the pipeline. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Terry Farrell ("Jadzia Dax") will star in a Lifetime original movie tentatively titled "Losing It." The movie focuses on Farrell, who plays the coach of a girls' basketball team, and a parent (Adrian Pasdar) who reacts violently at a game. "Losing It" is slated to bow in July.

Meanwhile, Farrell's TV husband, Michael Dorn ("Worf"), has nabbed a part in Disney's "The Santa Clause 2," which reunites Tim Allen with his role as jolly Father Christmas.