Interview: Jude Law, Alicia Vikander & Karim Ainouz Talk Firebrand

The latest from filmmaker Karim Ainouz tells a familiar story for history buffs. Yet the director’s take on Katherine Parr, sixth wife to Henry VIII, proves a good story never ages. We’ve seen tales of kings and queens on big and small screens. Yet the latest adaptation, Firebrand, takes on a far more grounded look at this time in history. It helps that the cast includes Jude Law as the ailing king and Alicia Vikander as Katherine. And both give sublime performances. The rest of the cast includes Sam Riley, Eddie Marsan, and many more. I recently had the pleasure of sitting down for an interview with Ainouz, Jude Law, and Alicia Vikander. Karim discussed his take on this story and its grounded nature. Unlike many tales of royalty from the past, the filmmaker’s vision is realism. The discussion with Karim was incredibly engaging, and it was a joy to talk about the project with him.

When I sat down with Jude Law and Alicia Vikander, they talked about taking on these two very public figures in history. I’ve long since admired Mr. Law’s career, and he and Ms. Vikander were quite kind and happy to discuss their latest. While it went very fast, it was a terrific chat, and the two gave marvelous performances in the new film. Firebrand opens this week, and it is yet another fantastic option when choosing your weekend entertainment.

Firebrand has the following synopsis: In Tudor England, Katherine Parr reluctantly agrees to become the sixth wife of the tyrannical King Henry VIII. Her consent to marry him carries great personal risk, given her predecessors are either vanquished, beheaded or dead. Perceived as a threat by Henry’s courtiers, they start to cast doubts about her fidelity and turn the increasingly paranoid king against her.