‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ star playing Marie Antoinette in new historical movie
More cast members have been announced for a new movie about Chevalier de Saint-Georges.
Set in 18th century France, the biopic will star Kelvin Harrison Jr. (The Trial of the Chicago 7) as de Saint-Georges.
British-American actress Lucy Boynton (Miss Potter, Murder on the Orient Express) will play Marie Antoinette in the film.
Boynton is best known for her role as Mary Austin in 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
The cast will also include Samara Weaving (Picnic at Hanging Rock) as Marie-Josephine, and Jim High (Carnival Row) as George Bologne.
Born in 1745 in in the then French colony of Guadeloupe, Chevalier de Saint-Georges was the illegitimate son of a wealthy married French plantation owner and his wife’s African slave.
Taken to France by his father when was young to be educated there, de Saint-Georges served as a colonel of the Légion St.-Georges, the first all-black regiment in Europe, fighting on the side of the Republic during the French Revolution.
He later rose to great heights in French society, as a classical composer, virtuoso violinist, a conductor of the leading symphony orchestra in Paris, and a renowned champion fencer.
However, an ill-fated love affair with a French noblewoman and a falling out with Marie Antoinette and her court led to his untimely downfall.
Directed by Stephen Williams (Lost) from a script by Stefani Robinson (Fargo), we expect Chevalier de Saint-Georges to be released in 2022 or 2023.
Lucy Boynton recently wrapped filming on ITV’s new adaptation of ’60s spy thriller The Ipcress File.
She’s currently shooting BritBox’s Agatha Christie mini-series Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?, written and directed by Hugh Laurie.
2006’s Marie Antoinette movie is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.