Henry VIII: Rockstar?

[lareinenoire]

(Apparently I'm spamming today)

I just found out -- literally about five minutes ago -- that Showtime is doing a series based on Henry VIII.

Judging from the previews it could be good, or it could be absolutely utterly horrendous. The goal for the series, it appears, is to portray a younger and more approachable Henry. Which I can certainly understand and find interesting. That being said, the screenwriter is the same man who wrote Elizabeth, which automatically puts me on my guard. Decent enough film, absolutely butchered the history.

And, of course, this being Showtime, lots of violence and general debauchery à la Rome. Not a bad thing, just an observation.

However, the series does have Jonathan Rhys-Meyers (Henry), Sam Neill (Wolsey), and Jeremy Northam (Thomas More). Plus an unknown playing Anne Boleyn who actually looks like she can pull it off (though in my mind she will need to compete with Genevieve Bujold in Anne of the Thousand Days, very difficult to do).

Apparently the Tudors are popular these days. Not surprising, given the Philippa Gregory juggernaut. Now, if only someone would wander back a few decades so they could add a chapter to my dissertation...

ETA (14:20): A number of comments on YouTube focus on how much JRM does not look like Henry VIII, as in he doesn't have red hair. I'm actually not bothered by this, since Richard Burton didn't have red hair either and he still did a very good job playing Henry VIII. I suppose it will all depend on the performance.

And is it proof of my fount of useless knowledge that I recognised every single piece of music used in the Showtime trailer?

Comments

[zoepaleologa.livejournal.com]

Not keen. I'm recalling the dreadful ITV 'Enry the Eightff, which starred Ray Winstone (someone suggested that Henry's accent was most likely cockney, a frightful concept the idiot screenwriter took and ran with most 'orribly), a couple of years ago, and was so full of howlers (or 'owlers), I ended up watching with a notepad to get them all.

Sam Neill as Wolsey sounds promising, though, cos Sam is generally good at everything. I don't get JRM at all in that part, I've never got over him as Steerpike, quite honestly, and don't really wish to.

*needs more historically appropriate icon*

[tempestsarekind.livejournal.com]

But I guess I'll just have to make do...

I too share the worry about the Elizabeth screenwriter being involved in this project. Elizabeth was not only historically inaccurate, but also made no sense--I've seen it three or four times, and I still have no idea what he was trying to do with Robert "I love you so much I had to plot against you" Dudley. (And I assume for the sequel, they're just going to pretend he didn't exist?) Plus that whole "look! JRM played Elvis *and* Henry! they're totally the same!" opening on the extended trailer kind of got on my nerves.

But there is a part of me that is looking forward to the Showtime series, because I am a sucker for costume drama. Even if I am slightly apprehensive about Jeremy Northam, just because I've never really wanted to have *those* kinds of thoughts about Thomas More. :)

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

Aargh! Why does it have to be the Tudor monarchs _again_? Please, TV commisioners, find another lot for the costume drama department to feed upon. On the other hand, it does have Jeremy Northam (who I saw on stage in Old Times in a production a small proportion of the audience may have gone to see for the play, but the majority for one or more of Northam, Helen McCrory, and Gina McKee).