Say the name Anne Boleyn, and no one even vaguely familiar with British history can claim ignorance. The second wife of Henry VIII and mother of Queen Elizabeth I, Boleyn was beheaded on charges of adultery and treason in May 1536.
What many can claim ignorance of, however, is Mary Boleyn, Anne's younger sister.
Still, when British author Philippa Gregory wrote a historical novel about the life of Mary, she had no idea the tale would one day hit the big screen. First came a TV film. Now, thanks to BBC Films, there will be a feature film called The Other Boleyn Girl, with Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson in the lead role of Mary Boleyn. According to a report published in The Guardian, the film will be directed by Justin Chadwick, who directed the BBC adaptation of Charles Dickens' Bleak House.
Mary Boleyn was the mistress of Henry VIII and is also rumoured to have been the mistress of Francis I of France. While her sister Anne was considered the more devious, Mary was the more promiscuous, with a number of scandalous affairs to her name. When she was pregnant with the King's children, Anne caught his eye. She was eventually beheaded, but Mary went on to have a quiet, normal life.
With a budget of around 20 million pounds, the film to be shot in Britain in October -- is said to track the power struggles and rivalries between the two sisters. It will star Natalie Portman in the role of Anne Boleyn, and Eric Bana as Henry VIII.
This is one history lesson a lot of people may want to take.
Photograph: Getty Images
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