Between The Crown and Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite, the British monarchy is still proving a major draw for filmmakers and storytellers — and now we can throw Mary Queen of Scots into the mix. Josie Rourke’s period drama stars Saoirse Ronan as the titular Scot with a claim to the throne who attempted to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I (Margot Robbie) and ended up with her head in the chopping block. The first trailer has just arrived, and you can watch it right here.
Rourke’s take on the material looks both lavish and gritty, with all the production trappings of a major period piece, and some vanity-free performances – particularly from Robbie, whose unravelling Elizabeth becomes increasingly desperate to keep her throne. There’s also a historical war feel at play here, with England Scotland clashing on the battlefield in the fight for the crown. The cast is rounded out by the likes of David Tennant, Gemma Chan, Guy Pearce, and Martin Compston.
Mary Queen of Scots is set for an 18 January release in the UK — so it seems like this could be a real Oscar contender come 2019.
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