Great Scott!
With flame red hair and a blotchy complexion, Margot Robbie got into character as Queen Elizabeth I for Focus Features' Mary, Queen of Scots in Goldthorpe, England, over the weekend. Robbie, who was photographed in and out of costume on the set of the movie, also appeared to be wearing a prosthetic nose to resemble the Virgin Queen, who ruled from 1558 to 1603; John Mathieson officially photographed Robbie's co-star, Saoirse Ronan, in costume last week.
Production on the Working Title Films production, directed by Josie Rourke, began late last week in the U.K. Starring Ronan in the titular role, Joe Alwyn, Martin Compston, Brendan Coyle, Jack Lowden, Guy Pearce and David Tennant round out the cast. The period drama is based on John Guy's popular biography My Heart Is My Own: The Life of Mary Queen of Scots.
Beau Willimon wrote the adapted screenplay. "Mary, Queen of Scots explores the turbulent life of the charismatic Mary Stuart. Queen of France at 16 and widowed at 18, Mary defies pressure to remarry. Instead, she returns to her native Scotland to reclaim her rightful throne. But Scotland and England fall under the rule of the compelling Elizabeth I," the studio said in a press release. "Each young Queen beholds her 'sister' in fear and fascination. Rivals in power and in love, and female regents in a masculine world, the two must decide how to play the game of marriage versus independence. Determined to rule as much more than a figurehead, Mary asserts her claim to the English throne, threatening Elizabeth's sovereignty. Betrayal, rebellion, and conspiracies within each court imperil both thrones—and change the course of history."
Working Title co-chairs Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner are producing the film with Debra Hayward.
In addition to Rourke and Willimon, the behind-the-scenes team working on the film includes costume designer Alexandra Byrne; editor Chris Dickens; director of photography John Mathieson; production designer James Merifield; and makeup/hair designer Jenny Shircore.
"We are privileged to be collaborating with our partners at Working Title on this stellar production, and with Josie as she makes the exciting move from stage to screen work," Focus Features chairman Peter Kujawski said. "With two of today's most vital actresses bringing to life two female titans, Mary, Queen of Scots will be one of the movie events of 2018."
Robbie isn't the first actress to transform her look to play a real person, of course:
Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan
The Wonka star played the legendary folk singer-songwriter in the film A Complete Unknown.
Lily James as Pamela Anderson
The English actress transformed into the Baywatch icon in the Hulu series Pam & Tommy.
Sebastian Stan as Tommy Lee
The actor dropped jaws after showing off his epic makeover as the Mötley Crüe rocker for the Hulu series Pam & Tommy.
Christian Serratos as Selena Quintanilla
The actress portrayed the late Tejano star for the Netflix show Selena: The Series.
Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly
The Oscar winner had fans doing a double-take in Bombshell, in which she played Fox News alum who helped take down Roger Ailes' career after he was accused of sexual misconduct.
Andra Day as Billie Holiday
The actress earned her first Golden Globe win in 2021 for her role as the iconic singer in the biopic The United States Vs. Billie Holiday.
Margot Robbie as Tonya Harding
The Australia native produced and starred in I, Tonya, a 2017 movie based on the disgraced figure skater's life.
Taron Egerton as Elton John
In 2019's Rocketman, the British actor played one of the most iconic musicians in the history of rock 'n' roll.
Jessica Lange as Joan Crawford
The Oscar winner stepped into the shoes of the late movie legend in Feud, Ryan Murphy's FX series about the making of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
Susan Sarandon as Bette Davis
The Dead Man Walking star played the acting legend in Feud.
Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin
The singer took on the Queen of Soul in 2021's Respect.
Felicity Jones as Ruth Bader Ginsburg
After Natalie Portman dropped out, the English actress stepped in to play the late Supreme Court Justice in On the Basis of Sex, a biopic directed by Mimi Leder.
Anthony Mackie as Martin Luther King Jr.
The actor played the civil rights leader opposite Bryan Cranston as President Lyndon B. Johnson in HBO's All the Way.
Benedict Cumberbatch as Thomas Edison
The Oscar-nominated actor portrayed the famed inventor of the light bulb in Current War.
Tom Hiddleston as Hank Williams
The British actor starred as the late country singer in the 2015 film I Saw the Light.
Johnny Flynn as David Bowie
The Lovesick star played the late rock legend in the 2020 biopic Stardust.
Parker Sawyers as Barack Obama
Parker Sawyers played the former president in Southside With You, a romantic dramedy loosely based on Barack's first date with Michelle Obama back in 1989.
Tika Sumpter as Michelle Obama
The actress starred as the former First Lady in Southside With You.
Odette Annable as Trudy Cooper
"She was a groundbreaking woman, so ahead of her time," Odette told E! News of her Astronaut Wives Club character, who was an extremely skilled pilot in her own right. "It's such an honor to play her."
Kerry Washington as Anita Hill
The Scandal star took on the role of the aide who accused U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual assault in 1991 in HBO's biopic Confirmation.
Michael Keaton as Ray Kroc
The Oscar nominee starred in The Founder, a biopic about the founder of the McDonald's empire.
YaYa DaCosta as Whitney Houston
The actress and model played the late legendary singer in a Lifetime biopic.
Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking
The Les Misérables heartthrob won the Oscar after portraying Hawking in Theory of Everything.
Katie Holmes as Jacqueline Kennedy
In The Kennedys miniseries, the Dawson's Creek alum channeled the former First Lady and one of America's most fashionable public figures.
Nicole Kidman as Grace Kelly
The Oscar-winning actress stepped into the regal shoes of the Hollywood legend turned princess for Grace of Monaco.
Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh
The Marvel star played Jamie Lee Curtis' famous mom in Hitchcock, which focused on the making of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho.
Agnes Bruckner as Anna Nicole Smith
The former Private Pactice starlet portrayed the late Playboy model in the Lifetime biopic The Anna Nicole Story.
Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs
The That '70s Show alum played the late Apple co-founder in the indie flick Jobs.
Chris Hemsworth as James Hunt
The Aussie actor portrayed the Formula 1 race car driver in Ron Howard's biopic Rush.
Naomi Watts as Valerie Plame Wilson
The actress starred alongside Sean Penn as the outed CIA agent in the thriller Fair Game.
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(E! and Focus Features are both members of the NBCUniversal family.)