Public Servant Lifestyle

Lavish costume drama set in the Tudors court - and based on Philippa Gregory's bestselling novel of the same name - is out on DVD late June - starring two of the hottest young female leads in cinema: Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman.

Based on the best-selling novel by Philippa Gregory, The Other Boleyn Girl is an engrossing and sensual tale of intrigue, romance, and betrayal set against the backdrop of a defining moment in British history.

Two sisters, Anne – played by Natalie Portman (Anywhere But Here, V For Vendetta, Garden State, Leon, the Star Wars ‘prequel’ series) and Mary – played by Scarlett Johansson (Lost in Translation, The Girl With The Pearl Earing, Scoop, Ghost World) Boleyn, are driven by their ambitious father and uncle to advance the family’s power and status by courting the affections of the king of England – played by Eric Bana (The Hulk, Troy, Munich, Black Hawk Down).

Courtly Love

Leaving behind the simplicity of country life, the girls are thrust into the dangerous and thrilling world of court life – and what began as a bid to help their family develops into a ruthless rivalry between Anne and Mary for the love of the king. Initially, Mary wins King Henry’s favour and becomes his mistress, bearing him an illegitimate child. But Anne, clever, conniving, and fearless, edges aside both her sister and Henry’s wife, Queen Katherine of Aragon, in her relentless pursuit of the king.

Despite Mary’s genuine feelings for Henry, her sister Anne has her sights set on the ultimate prize; Anne will not stop until she is Queen of England. As the Boleyn girls battle for the love of a king – one driven by ambition, the other by true affection – England is torn apart. Despite the dramatic consequences, the Boleyn girls ultimately find strength and loyalty in each other, and they remain forever connected by their bond as sisters.

In her bestselling novel The Other Boleyn Girl, Philippa Gregory spins a new take on a very old story: the ill-fated romance between King Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. With a twin focus on Henry’s relationship with Anne as well as his illicit affair with Anne’s sister, Mary, Gregory’s novel portrays the court of the Tudors as a home for sex, intrigue, and power games.

“I think before I wrote the novel, hardly anyone knew about Mary Boleyn,” Gregory says. “She was a character hidden from history, maybe because historians weren’t interested in her, because she made no difference to the historical record. But I saw her story as a contrast between sisters, and that contrast was fertile ground. It becomes a parable for the way women make use of their opportunities.”

For director Justin Chadwick, the central relationship in The Other Boleyn Girl is not necessarily the famous one between Henry and Anne but the one between Anne and her sister, Mary, who vied with her for the king’s attention. “Anne and Mary do some terrible things to each other, there’s rivalry and jealousy between them, but ultimately, they’re sisters,” he says. "You have a relationship with your sister that’s different from any other person. You have conversations behind closed doors, talking to her in a completely different way. You can be completely open and honest with her. Like Mary says, it’s like being two halves of the same person.”

Tudor Intrigues

Of course, sisters can be horrible to each other as well. “This is like a mafia story in the court of the Tudors,” says producer Alison Owen. “It’s got sex, rivalry, jealousy, ambition, scandal – with sisters at the heart of the story.”

Chadwick found his Boleyn sisters in two award-winning actresses, Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson. “They brought something to the roles, some sibling intimacy, some closeness, that meant we could take scenes further than the written page,” he notes. “During the course of the film, the sisters’ relationship changes, but they remain tied together as sisters. Natalie and Scarlett portray that beautifully.”

Portman takes on the role of Anne Boleyn, who would replace her sister as the king’s mistress, becoming his queen. “It’s easy to see the story for its place in history, but at its heart it is a family story, a story between sisters,” says Portman.

Johansson plays the 'other' Boleyn girl, Mary, who would happily fade into history. “Sibling relationships are complicated,” she says. “Everyone can understand that jealousy and competition. The bond is very strong; only your siblings can read you so well and know instinctively how you feel.”

Of course, when a sibling rivalry is placed at a pivotal moment in history, the stakes are raised and the risks and rewards are both great. Chadwick notes, “We start with three innocent children, Anne, Mary, and George Boleyn, and chart their journey from a country field to the throne to the scaffold. Their lives go horribly wrong through ambition and greed. The nastiness and intrigue will speak to a modern audience, as a reflection on obsession with celebrity and a warning to be careful that you don’t lose your head, in their case literally, over your ambition.”

For more information - and to view the trailer - visit the official website: www.theotherboleyngirlmovie.net

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