When the earlier fall festivals, such as TIFF, Telluride, and Venice, began announcing their full lineups, there were a few films that stood out as being not announced. One of those films is the highly-anticipated period film “Mary Queen of Scots,” which stars Margot Robbie as Queen Elizabeth I and Saoirse Ronan as the titular Mary. The film is poised to be an awards contender as both leads have been Oscar-nominated previously. However, no announcements were made. Well, today that was finally changed as the AFI Festival has announced the film will close the event.
According to Deadline, “Mary Queen of Scots” will get the closing night slot at the AFI Fest in November. This comes after the recent announcement that the Ruth Bader Ginsburg film “On the Basis of Sex,” which features another Oscar-hopeful Felicity Jones, would open the festival. Interestingly enough, both films are being released by Focus Features.
“Mary Queen of Scots” tells the true story of Mary Stuarts attempt to take control of power from her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I. The two women battle fiercely as early buzz says that Robbie and Ronan give great performances. The film also stars Guy Pearce, David Tennant, and “Crazy Rich Asians” breakout star Gemma Chan.
As mentioned above, both lead actresses are Oscar-nominated. In fact, both landed nominations earlier in 2018. Robbie received great acclaim portraying disgraced ice skater Tonya Harding in “I, Tonya,” while Ronan became a household name for her incredible performance in Greta Gerwig’s “Lady Bird.” Unfortunately for the actresses, neither took home the award, as Frances McDormand walked away with the trophy.
READ MORE: ‘Mary Queen Of Scots’ Trailer: Saoirse Ronan & Margot Robbie Fight For The Crown
Perhaps this year is the year for Robbie and Ronan, respectively? We’ll find out how well they do when “Mary Queen of Scots” has its world premiere at the AFI Fest on November 15 before its theatrical run begins December 5.