Robbie in line for royal role Cow protection
Australian actor Margot Robbie is in negotiations to play Queen Elizabeth I in Mary Queen of Scots, opposite Saoirse Ronan.
The movie is based on the true story of Mary Stuart’s attempt to overthrow her cousin Elizabeth, Queen of England, only to find herself condemned to years of imprisonment before facing execution.
The film has yet to be greenlit, but sources say things are headed in the right direction. Josie Rourke is directing, with Working Title’s Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Liza Chasin producing.
Following the success of big hits like last year’s Suicide Squad and The Wolf of Wall Street, the royal role would give Robbie added prestige to her portfolio.
Robbie is currently starring in Fox Searchlight’s Goodbye Christopher Robin, where she plays the wife of Winnie-the-Pooh author A A Milne.
She recently wrapped production on I, Tonya, starring as the title character in a film she also produced. India’s Hindu nationalist government has announced plans to establish cow sanctuaries, similar to wildlife reserves, to protect the animals amid a resurgence in Hindu radicalism. The proposal comes after violence, strikes and renewed nationalist fervour around the country’s beef laws in recent weeks. Hindu hardliners have demanded greater protection for cows, which they consider sacred. A bill proposing the death penalty for illegally slaughtering a cow was recently put to parliament, and several states have introduced draconian laws governing the slaughter of cows and the consumption of beef.