Casting changes have been made for the upcoming film Firebrand. According to Deadline, Alicia Vikander will now play the role of Queen Catherine Parr in the thriller film.

The film will follow Queen Catherine Parr, who was the sixth and final wife of King Henry VIII (played by Jude Law). Although her marriage could put her life in jeopardy, especially since two of King Henry VIII's wives were beheaded, she continues on with her plan to convert Henry to becoming Protestant like her. At the time, many Protestants were being persecuted, with a rise in arrests and executions. Vikander's previous work includes 2021's Beckett (directed by Ferdinando Cito Filomarino), The Green Knight (directed by David Lowery), and Blue Bayou (directed by Justin Chon). She will also star in the upcoming HBO series Irma Vep. The role was previously cast with Michelle Williams, who was announced for the film in October 2021. No reason for the casting change was revealed. Queen Catherine Parr has been portrayed onscreen many times, including by Everley Gregg (in 1933's The Private Life of Henry VIII), Deborah Kerr (in 1953's Young Bess), and Barbara Leigh-Hunt (in 1972's Henry VIII and His Six Wives). She was most recently played by Joely Richardson in the Showtime series The Tudors.

The film will be directed by Karim Aïnouz. His previous directing work includes 2019's The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão, 2014's Futuro Beach, and 2011's The Silver Cliff. "This is a woman who deserves a portrait," Aïnouz previously said about the film. "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." The film's screenplay was written by Jessica Ashworth and Henrietta Ashworth. The two's previous writing work includes BBC America's Killing Eve. The film is based on the 2013 novel Queen's Gambit by Elizabeth Fremantle. Brouhaha Entertainment will produce the film.

Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe in My Week With Marilyn
Image via The Weinstein Company

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No official release date has been announced for Firebrand. In the meantime, fans can see Vikander in her latest film Beckett, which is currently available to stream on Netflix.