THERE's something about Mary that Hollywood just can't keep away from.
Actress Scarlett Johansson has just been cast to depict the doomed Royal in a forthcoming movie being written by Jimmy McGovern, creator of TV's Cracker.
Expected to start filming next summer, the movie will focus on the relationship between the
young Mary Queen of Scots and her cousin, Elizabeth I, the monarch who eventually agreed to her execution at the age of 44 in 1587.
The role will see Johansson follow in the footsteps of a bevy of screen sirens who have played the Scottish queen, dating back at least 70 years to when Katherine Hepburn starred in Mary of Scotland, directed by John Ford.
It is the second recent foray into the world of Elizabethan history for McGovern, one of television's most accomplished writers. In 2004, he wrote a two-part mini-series Gunpowder, Treason and Plot, which examined the story not only of Mary but also her son James the Sixth of Scotland and First of England, who unified the two kingdoms in 1603.
Johansson - voted "sexiest woman alive" by FHM magazine - has shown a taste for period drama. She stars in a forthcoming film, The Other Boleyn Girl, which covers the little-known story of Mary Boleyn, mistress to King Henry VIII before he married her sister, Anne.
The film is being developed by American company 2929 Entertainment and is likely to begin shooting next summer.
While a major studio backer has yet to be announced, the involvement of a grade-A celebrity like Johansson means financial support is certain from Hollywood's moguls.
The budget for the movie is slated at a provisional £16 million and it is being produced by Melanie Johansson, the actress' mother and also her manager.
Described at the time as tall, graceful and quick-witted, Mary was married three times and her colourful private life has been the subject of endless historical speculation. The focus on Mary's early life means the 21-year-old Hollywood star is likely to put her smouldering allure to good use.
Stuart Kemp, the London bureau chief for Hollywood Reporter magazine, said: "They cast young people in these roles because they want them to be beautiful and glamorous.
"Obviously, Mary Queen of Scots, at some levels, is a sexy kind of story."
However, Kemp said he also believed Johansson's glacial looks would allow her to adopt a haughty royal air where necessary. "I think she will get as close to the role as you can," he said.
Edinburgh-based film critic Brian Pendreigh said: "Historically, Mary Queen of Scots was bright, she was tall, she was good looking. For her time she would have been very well-educated. Scarlett Johansson would fit that bill, she is a very modern sort of woman."
Queen of drama, always a challenge to the acting profession
SCARLETT Johansson follows in a long list of stars who have tried to capture the essence of the doomed royal on screen. Film critic Brian Pendreigh gives his verdict on some:
• Katherine Hepburn in Mary of Scotland (1936), directed by John Ford. The film starred Florence Eldridge as Elizabeth I. Ford's expertise in westerns made him an odd choice to oversee this film. "The casting of Katherine Hepburn wasn't a problem - everything else was about the film. It is a shortbread-tin version of Mary Queen of Scots."
• Vanessa Redgrave in the 1971 movie Mary, Queen of Scots. She played opposite Glenda Jackson, feted for her performance as an icy Virgin Queen. The film featured sumptuous costumes and scenery while taking licence with history. "Glenda Jackson probably overshadowed Vanessa Redgrave. Basically, it was a bit dull."
• Clémence Poésy, the Parisian actress, was Mary in the 2004 British TV mini- series Gunpowder, Treason and Plot. "She struck me as a very good Mary Queen of Scots and you also had a French actress in the role."
• Barbara Flynn played Mary Queen of Scots in the Channel Four series Elizabeth I (2005). The mini-series, starring Helen Mirren as Elizabeth I, wowed America and won nine Emmy awards.
• However, the first cinematic attempt to depict the short life of Mary was a one-minute American production made in 1895 called The Execution of Mary Stuart.
Depicting Mary's last moments, it was gruesomely to the point.
