First look at the new Tudor film Firebrand starring Alicia Vikander and Jude Law
Roadside Attractions has shared the first images and trailer of the new Tudor film about Henry VIII’s marriage to his sixth wife, Catherine Parr.
Who is behind it?
The film was produced by Carolyn Marks Blackwood and was directed by Brazilian-American director Karim Aïnouz. It is a loose adaptation of Elizabeth Fremantle’s novel The Queen’s Gambit and boasts a star-studded cast including Alicia Vikander (A Royal Affair), Jude Law (The Talented Mr Ripley), Eddie Marsan (Back to Black), Erin Doherty (The Crown), Sam Riley (Control), and Simon Russell-Beale (The Death of Stalin). The screenplay was written by Henrietta Ashworth, Jessica Ashworth, and Rosanna Flynn.
Who was Catherine Parr?
Catherine Parr was the last and the least remarked of Henry VIII’s wives. In 1543 Catherine reluctantly agreed to become the sixth wife of Henry VIII, fully aware of the fate of her predecessors and the great personal risk involved. Devoutly religious, intelligent, and astute, Catherine remained devoted to the King throughout their marriage. Although her tact and diplomacy enabled her to have a positive influence on Henry, her position was never secure in the court.
The official synopsis reads:
In blood-soaked Tudor England, twice married, accomplished, educated Katherine Parr (Alicia Vikander), reluctantly agrees to become the sixth wife of the tyrannical King Henry VIII (Jude Law). Her consent to marry him carries great personal risk, given that her predecessors are either vanquished, beheaded, or dead. When Henry appoints her as Regent, the nation’s ruler during his absence when he departs to fight overseas, he lays a dangerous path. Henry’s courtiers, suspecting she’s sympathetic to radical Protestant beliefs that have taken root in the kingdom and are a threat to their power, scheme against her and cast doubts upon her fidelity to the increasingly ailing and paranoid King.
Watch the trailer here:
Release date
Firebrand will be released in US cinemas on June 14, 2024.