Movies about 16th-century royal intrigue are normally anathema to non-female American audiences, so when casting its adaptation of Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl, Columbia smartly signed Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson in the movie's lead roles. The gambit seems to have worked, because JoBlo is reporting on its first look at the film's poster.

The poster also serves as a new cover for the novel, which revolves around a fictionalized account of the bedroom drama sparked by the Boleyn sisters, Anne (played by Portman) and Mary (Johansson) in the court of Henry VII (Eric Bana). The book and its British author came under fire overseas for the way they portrayed Anne Boleyn, as well as other historical inaccuracies; the film, meanwhile, has drawn criticism from the British press, unhappy with the decision to cast three decidedly non-British actors in proudly British roles.

Americans, however, aren't as likely to care about all that -- and American males might, for once, be willing to line up to relive the love affairs of long-dead aristocrats. (If the movie, which opens December 21, is a hit, it's worth noting that Gregory's novel has four sequels. Corset franchise, anyone?) Click below for a look at the book jacket!

Source: JoBlo.com