Henry Viii VIII (Viii) Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

So, Jude Law, when do you really think of the British monarchy after playing one of the worst kings in history, the wife slaying, Henry VIII, in Firebrand?

Gigi Hadid and Irina Shayk had heads turning at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival this weekend!

Most movies about England’s King Henry VIII like to focus on the mercurial monarch’s failed marriages. His six wives have been collectively described as divorced, died, beheaded, divorced, beheaded, survived. That last one, the little talked-about Katherine Parr, had the distinction of outlasting Henry — their marriage was about four years as he started to succumb to the result of hard living. She was there during that time, but also a wife who if she weren’t so connected to the King easily could have qualified as a feminist. She not only was the first English woman to have a book published, was privately a radical Protestant in an England that had been staunchly Catholic, but also a sharply intelligent woman who had a head on her shoulders and was determined to keep it there.

Alicia Vikander was greeted with an eight-minute standing ovation at the May 21 Cannes premiere of Brazilian director Karim Aïnouz’s “Firebrand,” from a crowd that included best actress Oscar winners Michelle Yeoh and Marion Cotillard.With her husband Michael Fassbender beaming on from the row behind, Vikander motioned for the cheering audience to stop or she would cry. But then she gave into the adulation and blew kisses to the upper balconies Vikander’s co-star Jude Law and Aïnouz also got huge applause. Vikander joins a group of Cannes leading ladies including Lily Gladstone, Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore who have turned in show-stopping performances.

Cannes Film Festival, Henry (Jude Law) is away in France with his army and Catherine takes the opportunity to ride off to a mossy forest for secret meetings with Anne Askew (Erin Doherty), a childhood friend who is now preaching revolt against a new law that has banned English-language Bibles and returned authority to Latin-reading priests. Compared to her radical friend, Catherine appears to be a cowed, abused wife.

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic Tudor, or not Tudor. That is the question in “Firebrand,” a revisionist royal portrait of Henry VIII’s last wife, Katherine Parr (played here by Alicia Vikander), that features all the pageantry you’d expect from a lavish costume drama, while showing the ahistorical audacity to call “Time’s Up” on the gluttonous king (Jude Law). Never mind that Henry VIII died — of very different causes than the movie depicts — all of 476 years ago. When it comes to art, there’s no statute of limitations on taking toxic masculinity to task, which can be both encouraging (since history has excused no shortage of monsters) and frustrating. There’s a big difference between exposing the truth and rewriting what came before to suit a contemporary political agenda, the way this movie does. Liberally adapted from Elizabeth Fremantle’s fast-and-loose historical fiction “The Queen’s Gambit,” director Karim Aïnouz’s tony British production needn’t try hard to demonstrate that Henry was a notoriously bad husband.

It’s a solemn command from Firebrand’s first assistant director Lydia Currie: “When you bow to the king, bow straight down,” she announces. “Don’t look at him; you’ll get your head cut off.” The fearsome monarch Currie is referring to is Henry VIII, and on this particular day, Jude Law’s king is in an ax-swinging mood. The background artists on Karim Aïnouz’s set comply to orders and stare down at their toes. Before them, seated on thrones arranged on a raised plinth, is the potentate in question, and Katherine Parr, his queen.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International In Britain, schoolchildren learning about Tudor history are taught a handy rhyme to remember the order of King Henry VIII’s six wives: “Divorced, beheaded, died. Divorced, beheaded, survived.” Hollywood has for decades been transfixed by the “beheaded” and “died” bits — essentially, the stories about women suffering — but what moviegoers are rarely reminded of is the wife who outlived Henry. In Karim Aïnouz’s hotly anticipated “Firebrand,” it’s the notorious Tudor king’s final companion, Katherine Parr, who finally takes center stage. “What’s mostly been dramatized are the wives who didn’t make it,” says Swedish star Alicia Vikander, who plays the surviving queen opposite Jude Law’s ailing monarch. “[When I read the script] I immediately thought, ‘Huh, isn’t it interesting that most people know more about the other wives.’ It’s almost like people are drawn to quite grim stories.”

Cannes Film Festival isn’t just a hub of red carpet premieres, champagne-drenched parties, and stars, stars, stars. It’s also a vibrant locus of dealmaking, with studio executives, agents and filmmakers descending on the Riviera to secure financing for their upcoming projects or to find a distributor for their latest movies. The 2023 edition is playing host to several compelling packages and potential awards contenders that could spark heated bidding wars. Here are 11 films that could leave buyers reaching for the espresso instead of the rosé as they engage in all-night battles to land the next big thing. Cast: Sean Penn, Tye Sheridan, Katherine Waterston, Michael Pitt, Mike TysonDirector: Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire Agency: CAA, WMEWhy Buyers Care: Penn and Sheridan have crackling chemistry as disgruntled mentor and doe-eyed mentee in the edge-of-your-seat thriller, which takes audiences into the often harrowing, always intense reality for paramedics in New York City. A gentle warning, though, that “Black Flies” isn’t for the squeamish. Expect plenty of blood, disturbing and graphic injuries, extreme violence…and a lot of yelling.

King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla have spent the night before their historic Coronation with an intimate dinner at their much-loved Clarence House. The royal couple chose to stay at their favoured London base - rather than monarchy HQ Buckingham Palace - as they prepared for the momentous occasion on Saturday.

We're counting down to the coronation of King Charles III, and what better way to get in the royally right frame of mind to celebrate than taking our fun-filled quiz? You may think you know all about the former Prince of Wales - but do you really know him? Were you aware he loves a spot of watercolour painting, for example? And despite his 'sausage fingers' (his words!) the monarch's dabbling has been good enough to make him one of the most successful living artists in the UK. Our King is also a qualified pilot and diver, even exploring shipwrecks such as King Henry VIII's flagship The Mary Rose.

As the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival looms, a cavalcade of previews for films in competition for the coveted Palme d’Or arrives. Here’s one from the first wave of titles: Karim Aïnouz‘s “Firebrand,” which stars Alicia Vikander as Katherine Parr, the sixth and last wife of England’s King Henry VIII.

EXCLUSIVE: Here’s a first look at Alicia Vikander’s turn as Katherine Parr in the Cannes-bound Firebrand.

Danny Dyer did not hold back as he shared his thoughts on the royal family, and the UK as a whole, in a recent interview, which saw the actor discuss his royal heritage.The former EastEnders star, 45, was left shocked during an episode of Who Do You Think You Are when he discovered he is a direct descendent of the Plantagenet dynasty. Historians on the show uncovered that King Edward III, the first Plantagenet King of England was his 22-times-great-grandfather.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent The anticipation is running high at the Cannes Film Festival’s packed annual press conference on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, where festival chief Thierry Fremaux is expected to unveil the bulk of the Official Selection for the 76th edition. The festival has been teasing cinephiles with splashy announcements about Martin Scorsese returning to the Croisette with “Killers of the Flower Moon,” 38 years after winning best director with “After Hour,” as well as Disney’s “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” and Pedro Almodóvar’s short film, “Strange Way of Life.” But Fremaux, who is leading the presser with the festival’s new president Iris Knobloch, is expected to have saved a few high-profile surprises, including Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City,” starring an ensemble cast that includes Tom Hanks, Margot Robbie, Scarlett Johansson and Tilda Swinton; Todd Haynes’ “May December” with Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore; Karim Aïnouz’s Henry VIII drama “Firebrand” with Alicia Vikander and Jude Law; and HBO’s “The Idol,” the Weeknd-led series.

Zendaya and Tom Holland explored a royal palace during a date in London, England this week.

Wednesday evening’s episode, contestant Karen Morris made a bad choice with her bet when it came to the final rounds of the trivia show — and she lost big time.Morris was in the lead with earnings of $21,800, while the other players had scored $7,100 and $6,400.During the Double Jeopardy segment, Morris opted for a huge bet — $10,000 — in an attempt to emerge as the victor of the game.“This artist the younger was working on yet another portrait of Henry VIII when he died in 1543,” host Ken Jennings said in giving her the clue, and the veterinary student, head shaking, struggled to come up with an answer before time ran out.“I’m sorry — Hans Holbein the Younger, the painter,” Jennings said, to which Morris responded in a whisper: “OK.”When it came down to the Final Jeopardy round, the category was “American Novelists,” and the Virginia native had just $11,400 to her name.The clue: “He served with an airman named Yohannan in World War II, and despite what readers might think, he enjoyed his service.”The correct answer was “Catch-22” author Joseph Heller, and Jennings underscored the importance of Morris’ forthcoming response, saying, “She had a big lead before tangling with that last Daily Double — she needs to get Heller her.”Unfortunately, a blank-faced Morris, who had wagered $6,001, wrote Hunter S. Thompson — the “gonzo journalist” known for “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.” With a shrug, she unceremoniously dropped to $5,399 and a third-place finish.Fans couldn’t help but scoff and roll their virtual eyes at Morris’ blunder.“Karen Morris might be the dumbest #jeopardy player in history.

A "Jeopardy!" contestant is going viral this week after making what many fans are considering one of the biggest blunders in the show's history. On Wednesday's episode, a woman named Karen had a huge lead over the other two contestants as they neared the end of the second round – she had earned $21,800, while her competitors had earned $7,100 and $6,400. When there were only a few clues left on the Double Jeopardy board, Karen found a Daily Double in the "Hans, Solo" category.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been asked to “vacate” Frogmore Cottage, it has been confirmed. King Charles reportedly wants the Duke and Duchess of Sussex out of the historic home before his Coronation in May.

Stacey Dooley made a surprising revelation during her special recent appearance on Michael McIntyre's Big Show.The TV star took part in Michael's 'Send To All' game, which saw Stacey hand over her phone and Michael send a text message to everyone in her contacts.WATCH: Stacey Dooley shares candid glimpse into parenting life Commenting on her screensaver photo at the start of the segment, Michael noted: "Oh, it's you with your husband!" "Boyfriend!" Stacey interjected. "Yeah, he has been married a few times."She then added, with a laugh, "You know what's funny, and I shouldn't say this but, oh well...

EXCLUSIVE: Disney+ is ready to give the greenlight to an adaptation of CJ Sansom’s bestselling Shardlake novels, depicting an unlikely detective working under Henry VIII’s reign.

Kirkcudbright Rotary Club recently held its annual Youth Speaks event for primary schools.

EXCLUSIVE: Starz has canceled freshman drama Becoming Elizabeth, Deadline has confirmed.

EXCLUSIVE: Jason Bateman and Jude Law have teamed to develop Black Rabbit, a one-hour limited series for Netflix, Deadline has learned. Both are attached to star and executive produce and Bateman is set to direct. The drama hails from Bateman and Michael Costigan’s Aggregate Films, Law and Ben Jackson’s Riff Raff Entertainment, Zach Baylin and Kate Susman’s Youngblood Pictures and Automatik Entertainment.

Members of the royal family are no different from the public in that they have nicknames.  While some of these nicknames remain private, others have been morphed into their public personae and are what they go by.  These name changes have been done when a monarch has ascended the throne and chosen one of their middle names to use.That could have been the case for King Charles III, however he decided to stick with his first name. He could have opted to be referred to as George, Philip, or Arthur.  Here is a look at a few royals who don't go by their given first names.  Prince Harry Prince Harry's real name is actually Henry.

the Booker Prize-winning author who turned Tudor power politics into page-turning fiction in the acclaimed “Wolf Hall” trilogy of historical novels, has died. She was 70.Mantel died “suddenly yet peacefully” surrounded by close family and friends, publisher HarperCollins said Friday.Mantel is credited with reenergizing historical fiction with “Wolf Hall” and two sequels about the 16th-century English powerbroker Thomas Cromwell, right-hand man to King Henry VIII.The publisher said Mantel was “one of the greatest English novelists of this century.”“Her beloved works are considered modern classics.

The Queen has died at Balmoral, aged 96 today. She has been UK's longest-serving monarch, after reigning for 70 years.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeNominated for 11 Emmys overall, “Brian’s Song” was so popular, and so successful, that it helped put the ABC “Movie of the Week,” as the franchise was called, front and center — cementing the TV movie as a network staple. The “movie of the week” idea was so groundbreaking that the entire industry continued to call TV movies “MOWs” long after ABC had ditched the name.

This Morning presenter Andi Peters cheekily left his co-host Rochelle Humes open-mouthed today (August 19) after having a dig at her former band, The Saturdays. His jibe came just as the pair wrapped up a segment involving a studio performance from the cast of new West End musical, Six which reimagines the story of Henry VIII's six wives and featured a contemporary performance which had a distinctly girl-group vibe to it.

Overindulging in unhealthy food and drink during the pandemic could be behind a recent increase in cases of gout, according to medical experts.

The queens from the musical Six gave the final performance of the night at the Tonys!

Caroline Framke Chief TV CriticFew British dynasties have inspired as much material in recent years as that of the Tudors. From Showtime’s aptly named “The Tudors,” to Hilary Mantel’s book/play/series “Wolf Hall,” to the current Broadway musical “Six,” the turbulent reign of Henry VIII and his six equally turbulent marriages have clearly had no shortage of retellings.

So it turns out there's more to a celebrity than meets the eye, with the likes of EastEnders' Danny Dyer being related to real life royalty. Who'd have thought our favourite cockney actor would have such royal connections? And he's not the only one, either. Chaser Anne Hegerty recently unveiled her royal heritage and is fact the Queen's 19th cousin – perhaps that's why she's got so much inside knowledge.

EXCLUSIVE: Sam Riley (Maleficent) and Eddie Marsan (Ray Donovan) will portray noble-born brothers Thomas and Edward Seymour in the historical thriller Firebrand, joining already announced Alicia Vikander and Jude Law who are portraying Katharine Parr and Henry VIII in the first English-language film from Brazilian director Karim Ainouz (The Invisible Life of Eurydice Gusmao).

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and Media“A Strange Loop,” an extremely meta musical, dominated the nominations for the 75th Tony Awards on Monday. The show, which won a Pulitzer Prize in 2020 for its Off-Broadway run, scored a leading 11 nominations.“A Strange Loop” was followed closely behind by “MJ,” a jukebox musical featuring the music of Michael Jackson, and “Paradise Square,” a look at the Five Points area of Manhattan and the tensions that erupted in the violent Draft Riots of 1863, which both nabbed 10 nominations.

Gordon Cox Theater EditorBroadway just wrapped up its first season after the pandemic lockdown, and boy, was it a doozy: After all the delays, COVID surges and cast replacements, a whopping 35 new productions opened, with 15 of them bowing in April alone.As Tony nominations loom, nominators have a lot to consider — and a number of big questions to answer before the May 9 announcement.In addition to the obvious frontrunner, which four shows will round out the new musical category? Even before the season officially ended, the category for new musical — the one award that consistently moves the needle at the box office — had a clear leader. That’s “A Strange Loop,” Michael R.