‘Queen & Slim’ Actor Jodie Turner-Smith to Play Queen Anne Boleyn in Channel 5 Series
“Queen & Slim” star Jodie Turner-Smith will star as the Tudor-era queen, Anne Boleyn, in a three-part psychological drama for ViacomCBS-backed U.K. broadcaster Channel 5.
Boleyn was the Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of King Henry VIII. Their tempestuous marriage, and her execution for treason, made her one of the most colorful figures in English history. The drama will explore the final months of Boleyn’s life from her perspective, and will follow her as she struggles to survive, to secure a future for her daughter, and to challenge the powerful patriarchy closing in around her.
The series is being produced by Sony Pictures Television-backed production outfit Fable Pictures. Eve Hedderwick Turner has written the mini-series, which will be directed by Lynsey Miller (“Deadwater Fell”).
The cast also includes Amanda Burton (“White House Farm”), Paapa Essiedu (“I May Destroy You”), Thalissa Teixeira (“Trigonometry”), Barry Ward (“Des”) and Jamael Westman (“Animals”).
Jodie Turner-Smith said: “I am so excited to join these exciting filmmakers in bringing the story of one of history’s most controversial queens to the screen. Delving deeper into Anne Boleyn’s immense strengths while examining her fatal weaknesses and vulnerabilities, Eve’s scripts immediately captured my imagination. In the hands of Lynsey Miller, the legend of this formidable queen and fierce mother will be seen as a deeply human story that is still so relevant for today. I look forward to bringing my heart and spirit into this daring retelling of the fall of this iconic woman.”
Faye Ward and Hannah Farrell, creative directors for Fable Pictures, added: “Eve’s drama challenges all the conventions of who we think Anne Boleyn was and shines a feminist light on her story. We’re absolutely thrilled to have the magnetic Jodie Turner-Smith on board to encapsulate Anne’s determination to be an equal among men and to pave a path for her daughter. We feel that history has side-lined the voice of this ambitious Queen in favour of the men who brought her down, and that Lynsey Miller’s beautiful, intimate vision will put Anne’s gaze at the heart of the piece.”
Channel 5 controller Ben Frow, who is also director of programs at ViacomCBS, added: “It is no secret that I’m a huge Anne Boleyn fan and we know she’s a proven success as a subject with factual and film audiences. This project re-frames her story as a propulsive psychological thriller, told from a new perspective, with top talent like Jodie Turner-Smith attached. It was simply too irresistible to say no to and I’m very excited to see the finished product.”
Historian Dan Jones will serve as executive producer and Sony Pictures Television will distribute internationally.
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