Jude Law and Alicia Vikander lead stars at premiere of Firebrand in Cannes

The historical drama explores the life of Catherine Parr, the sixth and final wife of Henry VIII.
Alicia Vikander and Jude Law attending the Firebrand premiere, during the 76th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France. (Doug Peters/PA)
PA Wire
Naomi Clarke21 May 2023

Jude Law and Alicia Vikander led stars on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival ahead of the premiere of their new film Firebrand.

The historical drama, based on Elizabeth Fremantle’s 2013 novel Queen’s Gambit, explores the life of Catherine Parr – the sixth and final wife of Henry VIII.

Law stars as the notorious King of England while Oscar-winning actress Vikander plays Parr in the film which is the English-language debut for its director, Brazilian filmmaker Karim Ainouz.

Set in Tudor England, it follows Parr pushing towards a future based on her Protestant beliefs after she is named Regent while tyrannical Henry is fighting overseas.

When the king returns, he turns his fury on the radicals, charging Parr’s childhood friend with treason and burns her at the stake.

Horrified and grieving but forced to deny it, Parr finds herself fighting for her own survival to avoid the fate of beheading like wives before.

The cast also sees The Crown’s Erin Doherty portray writer and preacher Anne Askew, Operation Mincemeat’s Simon Russell Beale as Bishop Stephen Gardiner while Maleficent’s Sam Riley and The Gentlemen’s Eddie Marsan feature as Thomas and Edward Seymour, respectively.

Ruby Bentall, Bryony Hannah and Maia Jemmett are also among the line-up as well as Olivier award-winning Patsy Ferran, who will play Princess Mary, and Junia Rees, who will make her acting debut as Princess Elizabeth.

On Sunday, the film premiered at Cannes in competition for the Palme d’Or.

Vikander wore a peach-toned gown with silver beaded detailing and her hair pulled back into a half up-do for the occasion.

She was also accompanied by her husband, X-Men actor Michael Fassbender, on the red carpet.

Meanwhile, Ainouz and Law opted for classic black tuxedos with the Hollywood actor also sporting a moustache at the event.

A host of famous faces also attended the premiere including Gigi Hadid, who wore a taupe bodycon gown with extra panelling on the hips and her blond locks loose in waves.

US actress Michelle Yeoh made a statement in a bright green off-the-shoulder dress paired with a coordinating oversized shawl.

Model Sabrina Elba, who is married to Idris Elba, donned a sheer dress with silver bead detailing for the occasion while Naomi Campbell wore a chic white flowing gown.

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