Jodie Turner-Smith Is A Defiant Queen In The Trailer For Anne Boleyn

As a historical figure, Anne Boleyn continues to be a source of fascination. We know the basic facts about her life and death as the queen consort and second wife of King Henry VIII, but the new UK Channel 5 series Anne Boleyn promises to shed light on her story through the “prism of a psychological thriller” — albeit with sumptuous period costuming and moody set design, along with rising star Jodie Turner-Smith will be portraying the doomed queen.

Judging from the new trailer, which premiered at Deadline, her performance will be as memorable as her character. In her role, Turner-Smith depicts Boleyn with equal parts somberness and ferocity, telling Variety she is a “formidable queen and fierce mother.” She slaps Henry VIII (Mark Stanley) across the face when he yells at her about having a son and remains defiant as she’s put on trial for heinous fictitious crimes. “The world will know my innocence,” she says; historians believe that charges of incest and regicide were planted against her so Henry VIII could marry his third wife Jane Seymour (played in the series by Lola Petticrew).

We all know how Boleyn’s story ends. But knowing her eventual fate will only make the story more riveting, as Turner-Smith’s performance reflects Boleyn’s desperation under her stoic royal guise. After critical acclaim for her role in Queen & Slim, Turner-Smith’s dramatic talent will be one to watch — if you can stomach seeing Boleyn’s beheading. No word on when the show will premiere, but international distribution will be handled by Sony Pictures Television. Check out the trailer below.