Mel Gibson To Produce 'Boudicca' Film Epic

NewsScotsman ^ | 28 April 2004 | Mark Sage

[Hal1950]

Flush from the success of The Passion Of The Christ, Mel Gibson is looking back in time once again – to produce an epic about Boudicca, who led Britain against Roman conquerors.

Dubbed “Braveheart with a bra”, the film will chronicle Boudicca’s rise from peasant girl to a military leader who united the Celtic tribes of Britain.

Gibson’s production company, Icon, appears keen to cash in on further historical tales, after The Passion netted hundreds of millions of pounds at the box office.

The film will be directed by Gavin O’Connor who told the Hollywood trade paper Variety: “What drew me is that she was driven by personal revenge.

“Her goals were never political and never went beyond avenging her slain husband and child.

“She managed to bring together all of these warring tribes to stand against the Roman Empire.

“It is a masculine story with a female point of view.”

Brian Klugman, who co-wrote the script with Lee Sternthal, said: “We spent over a year researching Queen Boudicca, Celtic Britain and the Roman Empire, and another year writing the script.”

[Centurion2000]

Sounds very interesting

I'd love to see him do the Punic Wars and the destruction of Carthage.

[ruiner]

So you think she'll be hot? I bet she's hot. You know, for historical accurancy and such.

[mware]

Be prepared for another flogging scene. If I recall my history she was flogged pretty severely when captured by the Romans.

[mewzilla]

Cool. I hope they cast it well.

[mtbopfuyn]

Braveheart with a bra

Lol, that was my first thought reading the title.

[mewzilla]

A statue of Boudicca near the Parliament in London.

[Defiant]

Celtic warriors fought completely nude, and I think the women who were there, as leaders or as priests, were topless at least. I wonder if they'll portray it accurately. Here's hoping they do!

[JohnGalt]

Celtic patriot ping.

[csvset]

ping

[JennysCool]

A Boudiccaious Babe!

[Lizavetta]

Wasn't there a cutting off of a breast somewhere in her history as well?

[SuziQ]

Queen Boudicca

Is this where the term "boudacious" came from?

[11th Earl of Mar]

I am liking all of the movies with historical contextcoming out in recent years. [Braveheart, Patriot, Passion, Hidalgo, LOTR]

[mass55th]

From the looks of the statue, the choices for actors would have to be Hillary, Rosie O'Donnell and/or Madeline NotsoBright...

and that's just for the part of the horses.

Snicker...snicker!!

[ruiner]

Me too! Like the Alamo and Pearl Habor.

err yea

[11th Earl of Mar]

the women who were there were topless at least. I wonder if they'll portray it accurately.

Anna K. for lead role!!!

[Moonman62]

“Her goals were never political and never went beyond avenging her slain husband and child. “She managed to bring together all of these warring tribes to stand against the Roman Empire.

Also, Gladiator with a bra.

[11th Earl of Mar]

Me too! Like the Alamo and Pearl Habor.

And JFK, and Nixon, Castro and any other Oliver Stone Film you can think of.

just kidding

[HamiltonJay]

Saw a british version of this story a few years ago, had the female surgeon from ER playing Buddica.... Roman's rued the day they raped her daughters.... She eventually loses of course, but she made hell for the Romans for a while.

[paleocon patriarch]

I hope that someday Mel tackles the story, of Hernan Cortez and the conquest of the Aztec empire.

[js1138]

Yes.

[Rebelbase]

"I am liking all of the movies with historical contextcoming out in recent years. [Braveheart, Patriot, Passion, Hidalgo, LOTR]"

Don't you mean historical and fantasy context? (Hidalgo and LOTR?)

[skeeter]

Celtic warriors fought completely nude,

If true, then a Celtic Skeeter would only be available for fighting June through August. It gets cold over there.

[mewzilla]

LOL. Click here for a quick backrounder on Boudicca.

[BJClinton]

Hmm...maybe Uma Thurman with red hair?

[isom35]

that's all well and good, but come on Mel, get to work on Mad Max IV.

[11th Earl of Mar]

I did say historical "context."

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

She would probably be covered with lots of blue war paint!

[Junior]

Her goals were never political and never went beyond avenging her slain husband and child.

I could've sworn it was because her two stepdaughters had been raped.

[goldstategop]

I love this new film. Mel Gibson has really found a new Patriot theme epic. It should quite well at the box office.

[Saturnalia]

Wait, does this mean the British are NOT evil in a Mel Gibson film?

[Hacksaw]

Speaking of this, did anyone watch "Spartacus"?

I thought it was good, but they managed to work in some digs at Bush - the manipulative and power hungry Roman senator taking command by saying "our national security is at stake" and saying "you are either with us or against us". It was so over the top that I doubt it will effect anyone.

[11th Earl of Mar]

Celtic warriors fought completely nude...If true, then a Celtic Skeeter would only be available for fighting June through August. It gets cold over there.

Do female Celtics know about shrinkage?

[VaBthang4]

Casting Calls:

Natasha Henstridge anyone?

[Hal1950]

Boudicca, Queen of the Celts In the days of Roman Britain, in the 1st century AD, there lived a warrior queen by the name of Boudicca. Flame-haired and proud, she ruled the Iceni, in a time when Rome wanted to rule everything. The lands she governed were located in what is now East Anglia; she had inherited them from her late husband, Prasutagus. When he died, he had left half his lands to Boudicca and her daughters, and the other half to the Emperor Nero, as a sort of payoff to encourage the Romans not to try and take any more -- perhaps not the most ideal package for a grieving widow, but Boudicca was willing to live with it if it meant peaceful coexistence for Romans and Iceni.

The rapacious Romans, however, had other ideas. With a style adopted in the next millenia by tyrants such as Hitler and Castro, the Roman governor stole the remaining Iceni lands, flogged Queen Boudicca, and raped her daughters (adding insult to injury). Needless to say, Boudicca was incensed. She took up weapons and rallied her people. Within a short time they had marched on the Romans -- and defeated them, in battle after battle. The fury of a Celtic people, led by an enraged queen, outmatched even the well-trained, organized Roman military. Boudicca's army was so effective, they burned and pillaged a swath of Roman lands ranging from Colchester all the way to Londinium (present-day London). With 100,000 pissed-off Celts behind her, Boudicca was a force to be reckoned with.

In 62 AD, Boudicca fought her last battle against the Roman scum. For once, Roman military strategy (with perhaps a good dose of luck thrown in as well) outfoxed the queen's forces, and she was defeated. Rather than suffer the humiliation of being led through Rome in the traditional triumphal procession, Boudicca and her daughters killed themselves (an act the Romans could respect, as they held that suicide was often preferable to capture).

Though her final battle was lost, Boudicca had proven that native tribes could sure give the Romans a run for their money. Indeed, the Romans never really conquered all of the British Isles. Scotland was never subdued (Hadrian's Wall was built to make sure the Scots didn't invade the Romans), and they never even set foot in Ireland (though they knew about it, and called it "Hibernia"). And to this day, Boudicca's name is commemorated by the adjective we use to describe a lively, spirited woman: bodacious. Source.

[KellyAdmirer]

Yes, that's exactly where the word comes from:

And to this day, Boudicca's name is commemorated by the adjective we use to describe a lively, spirited woman: bodacious.

[pepsionice]

Bluntly and purely...only Lucy Lawless of Xena can play this part. No one else could do this part justice. Boudicca was as bold and dominating as they come. And Lucy is the perfect one for the role.

[FairWitness]

The Masterpiece Theatre Version:

Boudica
Britain's warrior queen is beautiful and serene, but spirited and strong-willed. As the story begins she is full of pride and love for her people -- especially her two daughters and her jaded warrior husband, Prasutagus. After his death, her daughters are raped in front of her by jeering Roman soldiers and she herself is brutally flogged and humiliated. Her response, as she sets out to reap revenge, earns the unswerving respect of her Iceni warriors.

Alex Kingston
Alex Kingston (Dr. Elizabeth Corday on E.R.) grew up outside London, and made her stage debut at the age of five, playing the Angel Gabriel in a nativity play. She landed her first professional role at the age of fifteen on the British television series Grange Hill. Kingston won a place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and then worked in repertory theatres across England before joining the acclaimed Royal Shakespeare Company.

[11th Earl of Mar]

I saw Sparticus but was disappointed at how poorly it was edited.

We were left wondering at different times what happened. Sparticus was trapped by the sea... He did not know what to do... His adversary was ready to crush him...

And then you find out in an undramatic way five minutes later that Sparticus escaped over the commercial break, but the movie never showed it.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

**I hope that someday Mel tackles the story, of Hernan Cortez and the conquest of the Aztec empire.*****

40 years ago Warner Bros' prepared to make a film of Lew Wallace's(BEN HUR) other novel THE FAIR GOD that dealt with that theme. They reprinted the book but the movie was never produced.

[mandingo republican]

Wasn't Roman civilization good for early Britain as opposed to a bunch of barbaric blue faced berserkers?

I am reading a old book I bought at Amazon called the Last of the legions by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle about the Roman garrisons leaving Britain and a year after the place being over run by barbarians.

Roman Britain was prob very interesting and ordered. I think a real civil British gentleman of the past (a dying breed of man) would rather choose the Pax Romana and Cicero over drunk fighting savages pillaging a monastery and killing.

[11th Earl of Mar]

I am applying for a job in makeup.

[mware]

yeap

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Hmm sounds like the plot to the 1968 movie THE VIKING QUEEN.

[Snardius]

Celtic warriors fought completely nude

"Nice spear you got there, soldier."

[Agnes Heep]

I've been dying for years to learn something about Boudicca. I can hardly wait for Gibson's film.

[Hacksaw]

We were left wondering at different times what happened. Sparticus was trapped by the sea... He did not know what to do... His adversary was ready to crush him... And then you find out in an undramatic way five minutes later that Sparticus escaped over the commercial break, but the movie never showed it.

Yeah, but since it was made for television - not a bad effort.

I thought it was sort of an attempt to combine Braveheart and Gladiator. The Roman senator took the role of Longshanks, Sparticus took the role of William Wallace and The Spaniard.

All we needed was Mel Gibson in a supercharged Mustang.

Still, I thought it wasn't too bad.

[1066AD]

Long excerpt from Tacitus here:
http://www.britannia.com/history/docs/tacitus.html#boudicca

[Robert A. Cook, PE]

BRAOFF!

Hips, Hips, Hurry!

(Ooops. I'm sorry.)

Hip, Hip, Hurray! Bravo!)