"Mr. Noyce, we want you to direct Scarlett Johansson in a corset!"

Variety say that Aussie film-maker Philip Noyce (CATCH A FIRE, THE SAINT) has accepted the directing job on MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS, and will film the Scarlett Johansson movie this April, in London and Scotland. The film is a biopic on the ill-fated Mary who became Scotland's queen at 9 months in 1542 and, later, a rival to the English throne, imprisoned for many years on charges of plotting to murder Elizabeth I, a Protestant. And we all know what happened next! The story was of course in the opening act to last year's over-dramatic saga ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE and is one of the most re-told stories in Tudor history. Samantha Morton played Mary exceptionally well in last year's movie and one thing that strikes you instantly with Scarlett Johansson is her famous blonde hair and the fact that her bodily features look nothing at all like Mary, something which Morton actually did...

I fear a huge mis-casting right here and that's coming from one of Scarlett's biggest fans. Still they have a good director on board here and it's been six years since his last English-language film so I'm intrigued to see him get back into the groove. Scarlett's role in THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL (another Tudor movie) next month will be a sneak preview of how the actress copes in a corset movie.