Formidable trio Kate Winslet, Emma Stone and Olivia Colman (“Broadchurch”) are in talks to star in “The Favourite,” a period piece exploring Queen Anne’s brief reign from 1702 to 1707.
According to Deadline, Colman is in discussions to wear the crown as the British royal and Winslet to play Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, a close confidante to the queen. Stone, meanwhile, would portray Sarah’s distant relative Abigail Masham. Masham’s rags-to-(proximity-to)-riches story saw the poor commoner ending up with a position at court helping the Queen.
“The Favourite” will be helmed by Greek New Wave auteur Yorgos Lathimos, whose new film, “The Lobster,” debuted to rave reviews at Cannes and TIFF. While Colin Farrell is the lead in the the wacky romance set in a dystopian future, “The Lobster” features a prominent female supporting cast, including Rachel Weisz, Lea Seydoux and future (pretend) queen Colman.
Queen Anne was in power when England and Scotland formed Great Britain as a single sovereign state in May 1707. The royal was besieged by poor health while she ruled and suffered over a dozen miscarriages (ouch). Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara penned the script.
Stone hasn’t really forayed into period dramas. “Magic in the Moonlight” took her back to the ’20s, but “The Favourite” will mark her first steps into territory that is well-trodden for Winslet.
[via Deadline]
