The historical drama Marie Antoinette was shot in and around several locations around France. This winter, cozy up with a new series from the BBC.
The last French king before the French Revolution is the subject of the television series. When Marie Antoinette, an Austrian by birth, wed Louis-Auguste, the heir to the kingdom, at the age of 14, she ascended to the throne. Her mother favored continuing the two nations’ cordial ties. However, she rapidly learns that the French courts are hostile, and she must fight not just for what she wants but also for her life.
The French-British period drama series was produced and written by renowned novelist and screenwriter Deborah Davis. His most well-known work is the 2019 film The Favourite. Geoffrey Enthoven and Pete Travis are the show’s directors, while the BBC, Capa Drama, and Canak+ are among the production firms involved.
Marie Antoinette
The eight-episode television series has a compelling tale that, to some degree, incorporates the history of the French Monarchy at the time it was first broadcast.
Deborah Davis, who also co-wrote The Favourite, developed and wrote the eight-episode PBS series. Pete Travis and Geoffrey Enthoven handled the directing. Margaux Balsan, Deborah Davis, Stéphanie Chartreux, and Claude Chelli serve as executive producers.
On Sunday, March 19, the premiere of PBS’ newest historical drama, Marie Antoinette, will air across all PBS platforms. View Coppola’s adaptation of Marie Antoinette’s story in the trailer below, then scroll down for the official plot summary.
What happened to Marie Antoinette?
If you’re curious about what happened to Marie Antoinette, she was executed by guillotine in 1793 at the age of 37 after being judged guilty of crimes against the state by the Revolutionary Tribunal. In 1789, the royal family was forced to flee Versailles and was imprisoned in Paris.
She was forced to face accusations of sexual assault and incest before such a Revolutionary tribunal after losing custody of her infant son. She was found guilty of treason and executed in October.
Marie Antoinette Cast
- BBC Marie Antoinette full cast list:
- Marie-Antoinette – Emilia Schüle
- Louis XVI – Louis Cunningham
- Provence – Jack Archer
- Lamballe – Jasmine Blackborow
- Louis XV – James Purefoy
- Marie-Thérèse d’Autriche – Marthe Keller
- Madame du Barry – Gaia Weiss
- Adelaïde – Crystal Shepherd-Cross
- Victoire – Caroline Piette
- Chartres – Oscar Lesage
- Mercy – Nathan Willcocks
- Madame de Noailles – Laura Benson
- Duc de Choiseul – Gérard Watkins
Emilia Schüle as Marie Antoinette
According to Emilia, who portrays the outlaw queen Marie Antoinette. Although we all understand how it ends, this is a fresh look at her life. She was a 14-year-old forced away from her Austrian family to go to Paris, and it read in parts like a nightmare. She is really terrified. Versailles was a gloomy, enigmatic, and misogynistic location. She was battling for the right to privacy and independence. And it gave her adversaries the opportunity to weaken and ultimately kill her.”
Louis Cunningham as Louis XVI
The character Louis is King Louis XVI, who weds Marie Antoinette just before the French Revolution breaks out. He previously played Lord Corning in an episode of Bridgerton. This marks his first prominent on-screen position. In fact, he is the late Prince Charles of Luxembourg’s grandson.
For Canal+, Capa Drama, Banijay Studios France, and Les Gens, Marie Antoinette is created, written, and executive produced by Deborah Davis (The Favourite), directed by Pete Travis (Cold Feet, Bloodlands, Endgame), and produced by Geoffrey Enthoven (Come as You Are), Stéphanie Chartreux, and Margaux Balsan.
Additionally, the renowned Madeline Fontaine and Marie Frémont produced the outfits (Jackie).
What is the storyline of Marie Antoinette?
The eight-episode series portrays Marie Antoinette as she arrives at Versailles and tries to impose her vision on the French Court after being forced to flee Austria at the age of 14 to wed the Dauphin (Louis Cunningham).
According to the synopsis: “She is as unqualified for her duty as her awkward young husband, but she must have children in order to preserve the alliance between France and Austria. How would this free-spirited person respond to Versailles and its absurd etiquette?
“Marie Antoinette transforms into a teenage rebel determined to remake the dark and deceitful world of Versailles in her own image, embodying a spirit of personal freedom, independence, and self-determination beyond her times.”
This BBC series puts a feminist take on the event, focusing on giving Antoinette a voice and narrative—something that is crucial to Oscar-nominated Davis’ portrayal of the character. The story may already be well-known (if not for the notorious and contentious phrase “let them eat cake”)
According to Davis, who spoke with Variety, she “discovered the warrior” when writing Marie Antoinette and “liked being with her all the way through her conflicts.” Added her: “Marie-Antoinette overcame them although descended from a long tradition of fiercely independent women.
Release Date of Marie Antoinette in the US and UK
As part of the BBC’s Christmas TV lineup, Marie Antoinette, an eight-part series, premiered on BBC2 on Thursday, December 29, 2022, at 9 p.m. The whole series will also be made accessible on BBCiPlayer. Through early 2023, it will also run every Thursday on a weekly basis. Marie Antoinette has previously been shown in France and beginning on March 19, 2023, it will be exhibited in the US on PBS Masterpiece.
How can I watch Marie Antoinette?
At 9 p.m. on December 29, Marie Antoinette will be shown on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.
Does Marie Antoinette have a trailer?
Yes, a few Marie Antoinette trailers depict the young Marie Antoinette entering the Versailles courts and being informed that there are “no secrets here,” despite the fact that this couldn’t be farther from reality. She also says, “History is not kind to losers,” giving us a glimpse of the sassy queen she will one day develop into.
Review of Marie Antoinette on BBC 2
Expectations were always going to be high for this eight-part historical drama produced by Canal+ and BBC about the famous French monarch Marie Antoinette and shot in the Palaces of Versailles and Fontainebleau. This expectation was only about to heighten when the production sparked controversy for being vulgar and feminist and received condemnation from certain historians.
Marie Antoinette, the new series, never entirely lives up to its sensational promise. This rather fusty series’ reality differs greatly from all the anticipation surrounding it, which may unjustly predispose viewers to find the new program unsatisfying.