The next Anne Boleyn?
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New Tudor-related Books, Film &
Television 6 June The BBC has a website about their adaptation of The Other Boleyn Girl, starring Jodhi May as Anne and Natasha McElhone as Mary. There are production images as well as a screensaver. Check it out! http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/boleyn.shtml 16 May I wanted to share some dvd news with everyone - La Reine Margot (Queen Margot) will be available on dvd on 7 July 2003, at least according to Best Buy. If you've visited the Tudor Films page, you know I love this film. It can be overwrought at times but it's still a must-see for all Tudor / 16th century history enthusiasts. Virna Lisi is a great Catherine de Medici and Isabelle Adjani plays her daughter, Marguerite de Valois. The film centers on the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre in 1572. It's as entertaining as the Alexandre Dumas novel upon which its based. 29 April Some interesting Media news - according to E! Online, there will be a film version of The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn, possibly starring Sarah Michelle Gellar (of TV's Buffy the Vampire Slayer) as Anne, or her daughter Elizabeth I. This film, plus the planned Henry and Anne mentioned below, plus the Six Wives miniseries, means a glut of Tudor stuff in the works. It's 1998 all over again. Everyone is talking about the ITV Henry VIII mini-series which will start
Helena Bonham Carter as Anne Boleyn. (Thanks to Wendy for passing it
along.) But a while ago, I came across the following snippet, from an
internet article about Charlotte Gray - "[Douglas] Rae is currently
working on a number of projects, including The Water Horse, to be shot in
Scotland, Henry and Anne, a feature film written by Allan Scott for Film
Four about the story of the infamous marriage of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, and
Charlie, a feature film written by Ronan Bennett (Lucky Break) on
the 1745 campaign by Bonnie Prince Charlie to take over the
throne." According to the always-invaluable IMDB.com, Rae produced Mrs. Brown as well - a sign that he knows the right way to make good historical films. I'm wondering if this is the long-rumored Cate Blanchett-Russell Crowe project about Anne and Great Harry, only that hasn't been mentioned in at least a year. A hoax upon unwary Tudor enthusiasts? Perhaps. As for the mini-series,
Bonham Carter is a fine actress and an old hand at the Tudor era, having played
Lady Jane Grey in 1986. Now when will that film be
released on dvd? The Folger has posted information about their Elizabeth celebration which
runs from March 21 to August 2. There will be a play about Elizabeth
written by Maxwell Anderson, who (I think) wrote 'Anne of the Thousand
Days.' Two upcoming exhibitions at the Folger Shakespeare Library in
DC: The chance to explore the Folger's vast Elizabethan collection shouldn't be missed. I can't wait to view the Sieve portrait in person. Thanks to Tracey for news that a book called 'Ladies-in-Waiting'
by Anne Somerset has been reprinted. It is an historical survey which
begins in the 16th century. This is certainly an interesting subject,
particularly since there were a few Tudor queens who met their future husband as
ladies-in-waiting to his then-current wives. David Loades, who has written extensively about Tudor England (including the definitive biography of Mary I), has edited Sutton Publishing's new 'The Chronicles of the Tudor Queens'. This is the latest volume in their series which collects famous documents from throughout English history. There are numerous illustrations and the selections include some of the most fascinating events in 16th century history - the brief reign of Lady Jane Grey, Mary's disastrous marriage to Philip II of Spain, the Wyatt rebellion, the trial of Mary, queen of Scots, the victory over the Armada, etc There are also numerous accounts of foreign and domestic policy under Mary and Elizabeth and descriptions of their personalities and courtiers. It's available for purchase in England, and can be pre-ordered in the US. One thing I always enjoy about these sorts of books is their chronological
order - simply put, as you read, you become more fully aware of the uncertainty
of life in the 16th century. It's old news to us that Elizabeth became
Gloriana and the sixteenth century ended with England poised and prosperous, a
civil war in the near future but its self-confidence always intact. But
the triumphs of the Elizabethan age were still fraught with trepidation for
those that lived through them. In other words, no one in 1562 knew that
the queen would recover from smallpox and live for another forty-one
years. For the first fifteen years of her reign, Elizabeth and her
courtiers lived on a knife's edge, always aware that the fragile thread of the
queen's life kept their country safely Protestant. While reading 'The
Chronicles of the Tudor Queens', you get a wonderful sense of the problems
facing the three queens and a renewed appreciation for Elizabeth's success.
Wendy's book can now be ordered through Amazon.com. Amazon.com is offering a two-pack edition of Anne of the Thousand Days and Mary, queen of Scots for about $20. Throw in Lady Jane for a total of $35. Give yourself a Tudor treat.... No word yet on when they'll be released on dvd. Enter the Tudor Ghost Story contest. It ends 1 December. David Starkey's books on the six wives and Great Harry himself will be published in October and November 2002, as will another Starkey book 'The Reign of Henry VIII'. Alison Weir's biography of Mary, queen of Scots will be published in the spring of 2003. I thought this was supposed to be a study of Darnley's murder but perhaps it has changed into a straight-forward biography? The title is now simply 'Mary Queen of Scots'. New books - Mary Queen of Scots: A Spiritual Biography by Carol Schaefer. Nell Gavin's Threads. Greensleeves: An Elizabethan Novel by Marticia Burns McKinney is now available. Her site also features a history of the famous song, links, and more. David Starkey's 'Elizabeth' begins February 26th at 9 pm on the History
Channel in the US. Joseph Fiennes (from Elizabeth and Shakespeare in Love) will play theologian Martin Luther in a biographical film; Peter Ustinov will co-star. According to E!Online's 'Dotted Line' - New books - David Starkey's Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne is also available in paperback. I've used Amazon.com links above simply because their customer review
sections are better than Barnes & Noble (www.bn.com) It's good to
explore books before purchase. Bastard Prince: Henry VIII's Lost Son by Beverly A. Murphy is about Henry Fitzroy, illegitimate son of Henry VIII. Thanks to Lynne for sending along the correct author and title. The
Boy King: Edward VI and the Protestant Reformation by Diarmaid
MacCulloch came out early last year. I kept meaning to list it here, but
forgot. It is listed at Amazon.com as available in paperback, as of
September 2001, but it's a 'special order'. The Bravo Channel has
been showing several films set in the 16th century over the last few months -
Some new books are on the way, including the long-awaited Alison Weir work
Henry VIII: The King and His Court. David Starkey's Channel 4 program on Elizabeth I will be followed by a step back in time - a program on Henry VIII's six wives. The companion book, 'Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII' will be published in August 2001. It is listed at Amazon's UK bookstore, but not in the US. I'll keep you posted on its progress. And in film news.... Way back in January, the Sunday Telegraph
reported that the BBC was planning to make a film about Mary, queen of Scots's
early life. I haven't heard anything else since then, but if I do it will
be posted here. |
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