TORONTO (CP) - Playing Queen Elizabeth I on the silver screen has had a tremendous impact on Cate Blanchett's life, but the actor is giving no hint as to whether she'd reprise the role for a third time to round out director Shekhar Kapur's vision of a trilogy on the life of the Virgin Queen.

Blanchett, who earned an Oscar nomination for her role as the charismatic monarch in the 1998 blockbuster 'Elizabeth,' is back on the throne in the highly anticipated sequel 'Elizabeth: The Golden Age,' which is screening at the Toronto International Film Festival and is set to hit theatres across North America Oct. 12.

At a film festival news conference Sunday, the Hollywood heavyweight from Australia said she changed "a lot" after stepping into the costume of the beloved monarch, whom she compared to the late Diana, Princess of Wales.

"Having to be that responsible to drive a film, it was the first time I'd ever done it, so I was exercising muscles that I hadn't exercised before," said Blanchett, ever the style icon in a mosaic blouse, pantaloons and high black pumps.

"But I think she's incredibly inspiring (Queen Elizabeth I)," Blanchett said. "I mean, her intellect and her ability to negotiate her way through, almost certainly, waters that had never been charted but a minefield of political associations and keep all of that stuff alive and afloat."

Still, Kapur, who also directed the first film, said fulfilling his vision of a trilogy in the historical thriller series would depend on Blanchett, who is also at the festival promoting her unusual turn as Bob Dylan in 'I'm Not There.'

"I'm not sure Cate is going to say 'yes' to it," said the Indian filmmaker on a panel that also included co-stars Geoffrey Rush, Clive Owen and Abbie Cornish. "You'd have to ask her."

Blanchett didn't reply to the remark.

'Elizabeth: The Golden Age' starts about 10 years after 'Elizabeth' ended in late 16th century Europe and sees the red-headed queen facing familial betrayal, criticism over her failure to produce an heir and an open challenge of her rule by the figurehead of European Catholicism, King Philip II of Spain (Jordi Molla).

As she prepares her army for a fight against the Spanish Armada, the queen is also pained over her love for dashing seafarer Sir Walter Raleigh (Owen), whom she cannot be with because she has sworn her body and soul to her country.

Owen said he was a huge fan of the original Elizabeth and it was a "no-brainer" for him to join this latest project, which includes a powerful script, score and costuming.

"I jumped at the opportunity," said the English actor, wearing a brown pin-striped suit.

Also new to the cast is Cornish, a 25-year-old up-and-coming Aussie talent who is tender and vulnerable as Bess, Elizabeth's favourite lady-in-waiting.

Cornish had high praise for Kapur's direction, saying, "I constantly had the feeling that I was at the edge of a cliff and he would just push me off the cliff."

Rush, meanwhile, is reprising his role as Sir Francis Walsingham, who uncovers an assassination plot against the queen and realizes her traitors may include her own cousin, Mary Queen of Scots (Samantha Morton).

"It's a little invented drama," he said of the plot. "I don't know how historically accurate that is but it certainly provided a dramatic catalyst."

When his cast members starting to giggle at the remark, Rush said, "I don't have any time for people who say this is historically inaccurate because it's a two-hour event and to me, drama is about metaphor, you know, it's not about documented evidence being clinically laid out academically. You go to libraries for that."

"But having said that, I think this film is very true to the broad issues of this particular phase of the historical Elizabeth's life."