WTF? Gibson to do a Queen Boudica movie?

[villager]

So now, instead of Christ, he's doing the Celtic resistance to rampaging monotheism?

From Variety:

Warrior queen fuels passion
Icon joins race for femme pic

By MICHAEL FLEMING

"Braveheart" with a bra?

Icon partners Mel Gibson and Bruce Davey will team with Gavin and Greg O'Connor on "Warrior," an epic about Boudica, a female warrior who led Britain against Roman conquerors and was posthumously named Britain's first queen.

The writers penned the project as a spec, then hooked the O'Connor brothers. Icon exec Kevin Lake brought "Warrior" to Gibson and Davey, who are so flush with "The Passion of the Christ" cash that their Icon is in a strong position to make another period picture. The company has a first-look deal at Fox, but if Fox turns down the pic, Icon is free to shop it elsewhere.

The drama, which chronicles Boudica's rise from peasant girl to a military leader who united the Celtic tribes of Britain to battle the 9th century Roman Empire, will be directed by Gavin O'Connor ("Miracle"). Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal wrote the script.

The protagonist, a female equivalent of William Wallace in the Icon-produced "Braveheart," has become the most hotly fought-over historical screen figure since Alexander the Great. There are three other Boudica biopics.

Paramount and Tribeca issued their war cry last week, announcing the Boudica pic "Warrior Queen" that will be scripted by "Proof" playwright David Auburn. DreamWorks also has the Boudica pic "Queen Fury" with scribe Walon Green. A fourth project is "My Country," which was written by Martha Little and is being shopped as a spec by Laura Bickford. That's a surprise, considering the film will be expensive and female-driven battle pics don't generally fare well.

more at Variety's subscription site

www.variety.com

[brokensymmetry]

1. I'd bet it would be good.

I seem to recall an older film - circa the 1950's???? - on Boudica.

Thanks for the post!

[MichaelUK]

2. I swear,

The man has something against the Brits. First Braveheart, then "The Patriot", now this.

I predict that there will be a "Mel Gibson singlehandedly takes over the UK and becomes PM" film.

[xchrom]

3. stop that -- you scared me

[T_i_B]

4. On the contrary

This would be about the first pro-English film he's ever done! :eyes:

Question is, are we going to see some ultra-glamorous Hollywood actress doing a broad Norfolk accent?

[noonwitch]

7. Scary thought-Julia Roberts or Meg Ryan in the title role

Sorry to freak you all out so early

[villager]

11. I say Kate Winslet!

n/t

[Screaming Lord Byron]

18. I say Eddie Izzard.

Now that, I would watch.

[the Kelly Gang]

5. I think Mel wants to re-write all of history.

[supernova]

6. Masterpiece Theatre already did it - Warrior Queen

and it was good too!



http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/warriorqueen/index.html

[ashling]

22. Sorry, I can't agree with you.

I just started to post on this before I saw yours. I have to give it a resounding :thumbsdown:
Very disappointing considering that I was looking forward to it for weeks. The acting was substandard, and the sets were, how shall I put this? Crap.
:hurts:
Boudica should have stayed in the operating room on ER.

Just my opinion.
:shrug:

[Bridget Burke]

8. "Rampant monotheism" was not a Roman trait in the first century

AD (or CE if you prefer). That's Boudicca's time.

And what's this "9th century Roman Empire" mentioned in the article? By that time, the Byzantines were going strong but the Western Empire was not.

If we're going to be a-historical here, I prefer the Xena episodes where she & Boudicca defended Britain against Julius Caesar (played by the beautiful Karl Urban).

[villager]

12. well, okay, Bridget

yes the Romans had many Gods. But it was their empire that paved the way for "The Church" -- and continued control -- later on...

[T_i_B]

14. I've been reading up on the history of Christianity recently

and besides Constantine, the other thing that really cemented Christianity as the main show in town was actually the fall of the Roman Empire from what I've read. The reason being that the fall of the Roman empire created a power vacuum that Christianity found itself stepping into! :-)

[Bridget Burke]

15. The 1st Century Romans were not monotheists.

And the article sets the movie in the 9th Century. Way wrong.

[T_i_B]

20. "article sets the movie in the 9th Century"

You'll be telling me that she sacks London next instead of Colchester!

(Colchester was the capital back then you see and that is the town Boudica sacked.)

[wickerwoman]

24. Dammit... You're going to make me buy Xena DVDs

just for one episode with Karl Urban. :grr:

Do you remember what season it was?

[MichaelUK]

9. Alex Kingston should reprise her role

She'd be brilliant!!

"Pass me the 3 inch Roman killing dagger, stat!"

[supernova]

10. LOL! Alex made an excellent Boudica

Seeing the website again reminds me I want that DVD.

[villager]

13. hey, you guys, *I* want the DVD!

Had missed this before. Thanks for the hip-to. And with Alex Kingston! Hubba hubba!

[mr blur]

16. He's really got it in for those Romans.

[Lorien]

17. Oh Gawd

I've always thought that we were about due for a Boudica feature film, but blood and guts, I-need-to-see-pain Mel is the WRONG person to do it. How sad. :-(

[mouse7]

19. Will casting be entitiled...

A boody call?

What if an earthquake hits the set? Thay would really shake shake shake... shake shake shake... Shake Your Boody!

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ashling]

23. Passion II-Boudica meets The Christ

In this avant gaurde interpretation of the history of western civilization, The Christ returns and he is pissed. He seeks revenge on Pontius Pilate, who is now a Roman administrator in London's east end, and teams up with Boudica to find out what women want. Together they storm Fawltey Towers. Stars Helen hunt as the lusty Briton and John Clees as The Christ 140 min.

John Goodman appears in a cameo role as Winston Churchill.

[ashling]

25. And there's more . . .

Lucy Lawless as Xena, warrior Princess; Glen Close as Lady Macbeth
:nuke:

[derby378]

26. Boudica: Time Traveler

Yee-ha! To the 9th Century - and beyond!

It would be phenomenally cheesy (but way cool) to see Boudica return to Roman-dominated Britain with a minigun and the cast from Pulp Fiction in tow to kick some Roman butt. Hell, why not throw in a pulse rifle from Aliens and Jar-Jar as a sidekick?