Firebrand has found its Catherine Parr and Henry VIII in Michelle Williams and Jude Law. In an exclusive from Deadline, news broke that Williams will be starring as the sixth and final wife of the Tudor royal, with Law cast in the role of Henry. More intriguingly, the movie is being described as a psychological horror tale about the court that Henry and his last wife held. Directed by Karim Aïnouz with a script by Jessica Ashworth and Henrietta Ashworth, Firebrand is the latest exploration into the world of Henry VIII and his notorious reign.
Brouhaha Entertainment will produce the movie, and the Ashworths are known for their work on Killing Eve, so we can definitely assume we're heading for a bloody good time learning about Henry and Catherine Parr. The film will follow Williams' Parr as she navigates a marriage that she has only agreed to by duty — especially considering the fates of her predecessors — and will also be told through her point-of-view, according to Deadline.
Firebrand is the most recent in a slew of stories exploring the Tudor era. After the success of The Tudors, musicals like Six have also taken the world by storm, exploring the six wives of Henry VII. But even there, Catherine Parr is a segment in the larger story, so a film that centers around her as the only wife that survived being married to Henry without divorce, her own death, or beheading will be an exciting shift.
"This a woman who deserves a portrait," Aïnouz told Deadline. "There has been much depicted on the king and the wives that perished. It’s important to look at someone who turns out to be stronger than the forces around them. This is a modernistic look at the classic trope of the woman trapped in a castle with a monster. One of the first things that came to mind when I started this was the legend of Bluebeard. I think it’s important to revisit narratives that have been conveyed as romantic love stories. Henry was a most interesting person, but he was uber-violent, which was in tune with the times. Jude will not play him as the clichéd fat man eating the turkey leg. Jude got how complex this guy was, not a loveable character but as a most powerful man of his time. And Michelle immediately came to mind. I so admire her choices, going back to Brokeback Mountain, and there is something fascinating about her each time I rediscover her in a performance."
Firebrand is giving time for Catherine Parr to shine and we can't wait to see how the film tackles it. And with both Ashworth sisters working on the script, we're in for one twisted ride. No release date or distributor has been announced yet, so stay tuned to Collider for more.