Margot Robbie and Saoirse Ronan are never ones to hold back when it comes to roles (Harley Quinn, anyone?), and it’s clear Mary, Queen of Scots will be no different. The two have really come out to play—actually, come out to fight, if we’re being loyal to historical accuracy—in the first posters for the upcoming period drama.
Saoirse plays the reigning Scottish queen, with Margot tackling Queen Elizabeth I, Mary’s cousin and Queen of England and Ireland. Their family dynamics are very twisted, to say the least, but we’ll spare you from a complete breakdown of British royal history. What you need to know is this: The film will focus on Mary, Queen of Scots’s attempt to overthrow and execute her cousin to take her throne. Elizabeth finds out about this attempt and condemns Mary to imprisonment and an eventual execution. What ensues are never-ending power grabs, mind games, and some of the finest wigs we’ve seen in recent memory.
See the posters for yourself, below.
PHOTO: Courtesy Focus Features
The first images from the film are also impressive:
PHOTO: John Mathieson / Focus Features
Saoirse Ronan as Mary Stuart
PHOTO: Parisa Tag / Focus Features
Margot Robbie as Queen Elizabeth I
PHOTO: Liam Daniel / Focus Features
Saoirse Ronan as Mary Stuart
Margot has found a particular creative fulfillment in playing the monarch, noting that the young women—who were in their early 20s when the drama began to transpire—have a much more complex relationship than people realize. “Everyone manipulated their relationship,” she told EW. “It’s complicated, it’s tragic, and it’s bizarre. The only other person in the world who could understand the position they were in was each other.”
The first Mary, Queen of Scots trailer will debut Thursday, and the film will debut in December.
