‘Firebrand’ first look: Alicia Vikander as Henry VIII’s sixth wife Katherine Parr
We’ve got our first glimpse at Firebrand!
From the executive producer of The Dig, Philomena, and Stan & Ollie, the upcoming historical movie tells the story of Katherine Parr, the last of King Henry VIII’s six wives.
Firebrand was originally set to star Oscar-nominated American actress Michelle Williams when it was first announced back in 2021.
By the time filming began in Derbyshire last summer, however, Williams had been replaced as Parr by The Danish Girl star Alicia Vikander.
Vikander is joined by Jude Law (Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore) as Henry VIII.
The Crown‘s Erin Doherty actress Princess Anne is playing preacher Anne Askew, alongside Simon Russell Beale (Operation Mincemeat) as Bishop Stephen Gardiner, and Patsy Ferran (Darkest Hour) as Princess Mary.
The cast also includes Sam Riley (Rebecca) and Eddie Marsan (Ridley Road) as Thomas and Edward Seymour, with Junia Rees making her acting debut as Princess Elizabeth.
Take a sneak peek at Firebrand with this first image from the movie, featuring Alicia Vikander’s Katherine Parr with the ladies of her bedchamber, played by Ruby Bentall (Verity from Poldark) and Bryony Hannah (Cynthia from Call the Midwife) with Maia Jemmett and Linnea Martinsson:
The gorgeous official promotional photo almost looks like a painting from the era!
“In blood-soaked Tudor England, Katherine Parr, the sixth and last wife of King Henry VIII, is named Regent while tyrant Henry is fighting overseas,” the synopsis reveals.
“Katherine has done everything she can to push for a new future based on her radical Protestant beliefs. When an increasingly ailing and paranoid King returns, he turns his fury on the radicals, charging Katherine’s childhood friend with treason and burns her at the stake.
“Horrified and grieving, but forced to deny it, Katherine finds herself fighting for her own survival. Conspiracy reverberates through the palace.
“Everyone holds their breath – for the queen to slip up, for Henry to take her head like wives before. With the hope for a future free of tyranny at risk, will Katherine submit to the inevitable for the sake of King and country?”
Scripted by Killing Eve writers Henrietta and Jessica Ashworth, Firebrand is based on Elizabeth Fremantle’s Queen’s Gambit novel (unrelated to Netflix’s similarly-named chess drama).
Firebrand will premiere in competition at this year’s Cannes Film Festival later this month.
The film’s international release date hasn’t yet been confirmed, but it’s expected to arrive in cinemas in 2023.
Jude Law can currently be seen playing Captain Hook in the new Peter Pan & Wendy movie, streaming on Disney+ now.
Elizabeth Fremantle’s Queen’s Gambit novel is available on Amazon.