Firebrand will ignite movie screens on June 21, 2024. The Jude Law/Alicia Vikander historical thriller premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. Deadline reports that Firebrand was acquired for North American distribution by Roadside Attractions and Vertical, who will open it on June 21, in the midst of summer movie season. There, it will contend with Jeff Nichols‘ motorcycle epic The Bikeriders, which recently moved to that date; a Universal film is also slated for June 21, although details surrounding that film have been sparse.
Based on Elizabeth Fremantle‘s 2013 historical novel Queen’s Gambit, Firebrand tells the story of the last months of Henry VIII (Law), as his sixth and final wife Katherine Parr (Vikander) attempts to survive the chaos the king foments in his dying days. Directed by Brazilian director Karim Aïnouz, in his English-language debut, and written by Killing Eve scribes Henrietta Ashworth and Jessica Ashworth, the film will also star Eddie Marsan (Ray Donovan), Sam Riley (Control), Simon Russell Beale (House of the Dragon), and Erin Doherty (The Crown).
Who Was Katherine Parr?
A British noblewoman who had been married and widowed twice, Katherine Parr married Henry VIII in 1543. It was Henry’s sixth marriage; the previous five had ended in divorce, death, or, in the cases of Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, Wives #2 and 5, execution. She became close to Henry’s children, especially Elizabeth (who would eventually become Queen herself), and served as regent in Henry’s stead when he traveled to France to command England’s army. Their marriage was troubled, and at one point Henry issued a warrant for her arrest; however, they were reconciled, and were still married when Henry died in 1547. Following Henry’s death, Katherine married again, but died from complications of childbirth a year after Henry, in 1548. Henry’s tumultuous life has been portrayed on screen a number of times, from the 1933 film The Private Life of Charles VIII, where he was played by Charles Laughton, to 2008’s The Other Boleyn Girl, where the king was portrayed by Eric Bana. Another take is on the way, as the late Hilary Mantel‘s The Mirror and the Light is set to be adapted, with Damian Lewis returning as Henry from Wolf Hall.
Reviews for Firebrand were shaky after its Cannes release, with a 53% “Rotten” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It received a mixed review from Collider‘s Therese Lacson, who cited its “messy story and confusing characters”, but praised Law‘s performance as Henry VIII, saying that the actor “doesn’t hesitate to turn into a mercurial man who is as fickle as he is childish”.
Firebrand will hit theaters on June 21, 2024. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
via Collider