WAMG’s Cate Marquis writes in her review, “With the standout performances of Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie, MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS is a must-see for fans of good dramatic acting as well as history.”
“Mary Queen of Scots” explores the turbulent life of Mary Stuart (Saoirse Ronan). Queen of France at 16 and widowed at 18, Mary defies pressure to remarry. Instead, she returns to her native Scotland to reclaim her rightful throne. Upon her return, Elizabeth I (Robbie) is England’s Protestant Queen, but Mary is a Catholic. Rivals in power and in love, and female monarchs in a masculine world, the two must decide how to play the game of marriage versus independence. Determined to rule as much more than a figurehead, Mary asserts her claim to the English throne, threatening Elizabeth’s sovereignty. Betrayal, rebellion, and conspiracies within each court imperil both thrones – and change the course of history.”
The film is in select theaters now and goes wide on December 21, 2018.
To celebrate the opening of this film, WAMG is giving away 2 prizepacks!
Winners will receive:
(1) Set of Mary Queen Of Scots playing cards in plastic case
(1) Set of Queen Elizabeth 1 playing cards in plastic case
(1) Set of English Breakfast and Scottish Breakfast teas
(1) Folding paper hand fan of Mary Queen of Scots
(1) Folding paper hand fan of Queen Elizabeth I
All you have to do is leave a comment answering this question:
Who is your favorite British monarch?
1. YOU MUST BE A US RESIDENT. PRIZE WILL ONLY BE SHIPPED TO US ADDRESSES. NO P.O. BOXES. NO DUPLICATE ADDRESSES.
2. WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN FROM ALL QUALIFYING ENTRIES.
Margot Robbie stars as Elizabeth I and Joe Alwyn as Robert Dudley in MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS, a Focus Features release. Credit: Liam Daniel / Focus Features
Saoirse Ronan stars as Mary Stuart in MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS, a Focus Features release. Photo credit: Liam Daniel / Focus Features
Of the two historical films opening this week, this is the one with grand, epic drama. Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie play dueling queens in director Josie Rourke’s searing MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS, a grim, mud-and-blood retelling of the great power struggle between cousins Queen Elizabeth I of England and Queen Mary of Scotland. It is a tale of two strong women set against a backdrop of the disdainful male attitudes of the era towards women, even queens. As alliances shift, powerful, ambitious men hatch plots that favor their side but not always their queen. The film’s dramatic exploration of the differing fates of these two queens in this treacherous milieu makes for an intriguing, fresh look at the history.
The film is custom-made as a powerhouse showcase for the considerable acting talents of Ronan and Robbie, both of whom fill the screen with fire. But audiences expecting a pretty costume drama may be surprised at the gritty, mud-and-blood realism of MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS. The drama, particularly in Scotland, often takes place in dark, smokey halls, where one can almost feel the damp, or in rough fields where mud flecks opulent cloaks. Even in more-polished England, things can look raw, and the film does not shy away from the ugly side of life in the era.
That jolt of realism may be unexpected but this historical drama bucks expectations in other ways. Historians sometimes portray Mary as little more than a pawn, no match for Elizabeth, but director Josie Rourke takes a different tack. Instead, this film focuses on the difference in the courts surrounding the two queens. In this version, Saoirse Ronan’s Mary is fierce, arriving in Scotland glowing with promise and ambition. She is a young queen seeming to have everything in her favor, both to rule Scotland and to succeed her childless cousin to the throne of England. Rourke offers a fascinating, even feminist take on the differing fate of two queens in an era when men resented and resisted having women in power.
When young Mary Stuart (Ronan), newly widowed, arrives in Scotland to assert her claim to the throne of Scotland over her brother James (Andrew Rothney), she is a force of nature, an iron-willed woman set on power. While Queen Elizabeth (Robbie) is already on the throne of England, her younger cousin Mary has a claim to the English throne equally as strong or maybe stronger, which worries both Elizabeth and her advisers. Further, unlike the unmarried Elizabeth, Mary announces her plans to marry and produce an heir to the throne. Mary presses Elizabeth to name her heir but Elizabeth’s advisers are wary of rebellious Scots in the royal court too eager to hurry along that succession.
With a script written by Beau Willimon, the creative force behind “House of Cards,” big personalities, ambition, religion, power and nationalism all play a role in this struggle. The rest of the cast is as strong as the two leads, including Jack Lowden as Lord Darnley, Joe Alwyn as Robert Dudley, David Tennant as John Knox, Guy Pearce as Sir William Cecil and Brendan Coyle as the Earl of Lennox. The use of color-blind casting, more common on stage than in film, ensures the strongest possible actor in each role and a diverse cast that connects the past depicted on screen with our present.
The whole political intrigue of the era is ripe for drama, with its Shakespearean plotting and shifting alliances, but the fact that the story has two queens at the center makes it especially rich material for historic drama now. Some histories have Mary as a weak figure but Ronan plays her with boldness and verve. At the story’s start, Mary is a powerhouse bursting with both youth and intelligence as she sets out to secure her position. By contrast, Margot Robbie’s Elizabeth is seized with fear, intimidated by her potential rival’s beauty and youth. Although Mary repeated reassures Elizabeth of her loyalty, her insistence on being named heir sparks worries in the English court.
While the two queens jockey for the upper hand in this deadly game, competing interests divide the two courts, while the men in those two camps not always acting in the best interests of their own sovereign. Director Rourke explores the ways prejudice against a woman ruler influenced the flow of history and the fates to the two queens. The history is well known but this film offers a fresh look at events, and the two monarchs, through a different, thought-provoking lens.
With the standout performances of Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie, MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS is a must-see for fans of good dramatic acting as well as history. It opens Friday, December 14, at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinema.
Opening in St. Louis on December 14, 2018, is MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS. The film stars Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie.
Enter for your chance to win two free passes to the St. Louis advance screening. The theatrical sneak preview will be on December 10 at 7pm.
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NO PURCHASE REQUIRED. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house.
MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS is a retelling of the turbulent life of Mary Stuart (Saoirse Ronan), based on the book “Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart” by Dr. John Guy.
Queen of France at 16 and widowed when she was barely 18, Mary defies pressure to remarry. Instead, she returns to her native Scotland to reclaim her rightful throne. By birth, Mary has a rival claim to the throne of Elizabeth I (Margot Robbie), who rules as England’s Queen. Contrary to earlier accounts, and based on Dr. John Guy’s research, we see Mary as a capable politician and leader who wanted an alliance with her cousin Elizabeth. Mary fights to govern her unruly kingdom at a time when female monarchs are reviled as monstrous.
To secure their thrones, the two Queens make very different choices about marriage and children. Mary’s reputation is under continual attack from her enemies, who construct lies about her sexual conduct. Betrayal, rebellion and conspiracies within each court imperil both Queens–driving them apart, as each woman experiences the bitter cost of power.
Saoirse Ronan stars as Mary Stuart in MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS, a Focus Features release.Credit: Liam Daniel / Focus FeaturesMargot Robbie stars as Elizabeth I and Joe Alwyn as Robert Dudley in MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS, a Focus Features release. Credit: Liam Daniel / Focus Features
In select theaters on December 7, 2018 is Focus Features MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS.
The film explores the turbulent life of the charismatic Mary Stuart (Ronan). Queen of France at 16 and widowed at 18, Mary defies pressure to remarry. Instead, she returns to her native Scotland to reclaim her rightful throne. But Scotland and England fall under the rule of the compelling Elizabeth I (Robbie). Each young Queen beholds her “sister” in fear and fascination. Rivals in power and in love, and female regents in a masculine world, the two must decide how to play the game of marriage versus independence. Determined to rule as much more than a figurehead, Mary asserts her claim to the English throne, threatening Elizabeth’s sovereignty. Betrayal, rebellion, and conspiracies within each court imperil both thrones – and change the course of history.
Watch Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie in the new trailer.
Queen Mary was executed on February 8, 1587. Mary’s son eventually became King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until his death in 1625.
Directed by Josie Rourke (artistic director of The Donmar Warehouse), the film is written by Beau Willimon (“The Ides of March,” “House of Cards”), based on Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart by John Guy.
Saoirse Ronan stars as Mary Stuart in MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS, a Focus Features release.Credit: Liam Daniel / Focus Features Saoirse Ronan stars as Mary Stuart in MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS, a Focus Features release.Credit: Liam Daniel / Focus Features
Focus Features has released two striking new posters for MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS, starring Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie. The portrait posters are actually quite stunning.
The first trailer will be released on Thursday.
Focus Features will release Working Title’s MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS on Friday, December 7, 2018 – limited in North America. Count on this film being in the awards season, Oscar mix.
From director Josie Rourke (artistic director of The Donmar Warehouse), the film explores the turbulent life of the charismatic Mary Stuart. Queen of France at 16 and widowed at 18, Mary defies pressure to remarry. Instead, she returns to her native Scotland to reclaim her rightful throne. But Scotland and England fall under the rule of the compelling Elizabeth I. Each young Queen beholds her “sister” in fear and fascination. Rivals in power and in love, and female regents in a masculine world, the two must decide how to play the game of marriage versus independence. Determined to rule as much more than a figurehead, Mary asserts her claim to the English throne, threatening Elizabeth’s sovereignty. Betrayal, rebellion, and conspiracies within each court imperil both thrones – and change the course of history.
Jack Lowden, Joe Alwyn, Gemma Chan, Martin Compston, Ismael Cordova, Brendan Coyle, Ian Hart, Adrian Lester, James McArdle, with David Tennant, and Guy Pearce also star in MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS.
MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS is from writer Beau Willimon (“The Ides of March,” “House of Cards”) and based on My Heart is My Own: The Life of Mary Queen of Scots by John Guy.
Ian Hart stars as Lord Maitland, Jack Lowden as Lord Darnley, Saoirse Ronan as Mary Stuart and James McArdle as Earl of Moray in MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS, a Focus Features release.Credit: Liam Daniel / Focus Features
Filming has begun on location in England and Scotland on the Working Title Films production of Mary, Queen of Scots, starring Saoirse Ronan in the title role opposite Margot Robbie as Elizabeth I.
Josie Rourke, artistic director of The Donmar Warehouse, makes her feature directorial debut on the movie. Focus Features holds worldwide rights and will release Mary, Queen of Scots in the USand Universal Pictures International (UPI) will distribute the film internationally.
The producers of Mary, Queen of Scots are Working Title co-chairs Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, and Debra Hayward, all Academy Award nominees as producers of Best Picture Oscar nominee Les Misérables.
Beau Willimon, an Academy Award nominee for The Ides of March and Emmy Award nominee for “House of Cards”, has written the screenplay adaptation. Mary, Queen of Scots is based on John Guy’s acclaimed biography My Heart is My Own: The Life of Mary Queen of Scots.
Joining the cast are Jack Lowden (Dunkirk, England is Mine), Joe Alwyn (The Sense of an Ending, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk), Martin Compston (Sweet Sixteen, “Line of Duty”) and Brendan Coyle (“Downton Abbey”, Me Before You). Also featuring in the cast are David Tennant (“Doctor Who”, “Broadchurch”) and Guy Pearce (Memento, LA Confidential, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert).
Mary, Queen of Scots explores the turbulent life of the charismatic Mary Stuart. Queen of France at 16 and widowed at 18, Mary defies pressure to remarry. Instead, she returns to her native Scotland to reclaim her rightful throne. But Scotland and England fall under the rule of the compelling Elizabeth 1. Each young Queen beholds her “sister” in fear and fascination. Rivals in power and in love, and female regents in a masculine world, the two must decide how to play the game of marriage versus independence. Determined to rule as much more than a figurehead, Mary asserts her claim to the English throne, threatening Elizabeth’s sovereignty. Betrayal, rebellion, and conspiracies within each court imperil both thrones – and change the course of history.
Saoirse Ronan earned her first Academy Award nomination for Focus and Working Title’s Atonement, and was again an Academy Award nominee for Brooklyn; she also starred for Focus as the title character in Hanna, and other past credits include The Grand Budapest Hotel, How I Love Now and The Lovely Bones, as well as the upcoming Ladybird, On Chesil Beach and Loving Vincent. She recently made her Broadway debut in The Crucible. Ronan resides in Ireland. Margot Robbie, a BAFTA Award nominee, has starred in such blockbuster hit movies as The Wolf of Wall Street, The Legend of Tarzan, and Suicide Squad, for which she won a Critics’ Choice Award.
One of most famous tellings of the story was the 1971 film version starring Glenda Jackson as Elizabeth I and Vanessa Redgrave as Mary Queen of Scots, in “Mary Queen of Scots”. The movie was known to take “considerable liberties with history in order to achieve increased dramatic effect, in particular two fictitious face-to-face encounters between the two Queens (who never met in real life).”
The filmmaking team for Mary, Queen of Scots includes Academy Award winners costume designer Alexandra Byrne, make-up and hair designer Jenny Shircore and editor Chris Dickens, Emmy award winner production designer James Merifield and BAFTA award winner director of photography John Mathieson.
Focus chairman Peter Kujawski said, “We are privileged to be collaborating with our partners at Working Title on this stellar production, and with Josie as she makes the exciting move from stage to screen work. With two of today’s most vital actresses bringing to life two female titans, Mary, Queen of Scots will be one of the movie events of 2018.”
Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner have been co-chairs of Working Title Films, one of the world’s leading film production companies, since 1992. Working Title has made more than 100 films that have grossed over $6 billion worldwide, including over $1 billion at the U.K. box office. Its films have won 12 Academy Awards(for Tom Hooper’s Les Misérables and The Danish Girl; James Marsh’s The Theory of Everything; Tim Robbins’ Dead Man Walking; Joel and Ethan Coen’s Fargo; Shekhar Kapur’s Elizabeth and Elizabeth: The Golden Age; and Joe Wright’s Atonement and Anna Karenina), 39 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards, and prizes at the Cannes and Berlin International Film Festivals.
Mr. Bevan and Mr. Fellner have been honored with the Producers Guild of America’s David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures, the PGA’s highest honor for motion picture producers. They have been accorded two of the highest film awards given to British filmmakers: the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema award at the BAFTA Awards, and the Alexander Walker Film Award at the Evening Standard British Film Awards. They have also both been honored with CBEs (Commanders of the Order of the British Empire).
Working Title’s slate includes The Snowman, directed by Tomas Alfredson and starring Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Ferguson, and Val Kilmer; James Marsh’s untitled Hatton Garden project, starring Michael Caine, Jim Broadbent, Tom Courtenay, and Ray Winstone; Victoria & Abdul, directed by Stephen Frears and starring Judi Dench as Queen Victoria; Darkest Hour, directed by Joe Wright and starring Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill; and the untitled Entebbe project, a gripping political thriller directed by José Padilha and starring Rosamund Pike and Daniel Brühl.
