Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz and Olivia Colman in first clip from ‘The Favourite’

Yorgos Lanthimos’s The Favourite is set to debut at the Venice Film Festival and ahead of the responses and reviews comes a first clip featuring Academy Award winners Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz with Golden Globe winner Olivia Colman.

Film synopsis:

Early 18th century. England is at war with the French. Nevertheless, duck racing and pineapple eating are thriving. A frail Queen Anne occupies the throne and her close friend Lady Sarah governs the country in her stead while tending to Anne’s ill health and mercurial temper. When a new servant, Abigail, arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah. Sarah takes Abigail under her wing and Abigail sees a chance at a return to her aristocratic roots. As the politics of war become quite time consuming for Sarah, Abigail steps into the breach to fill in as the Queen’s companion. Their burgeoning friendship gives her a chance to fulfil her ambitions and she will not let woman, man, politics or rabbit stand in her way.

In the clip, maid Abigail (Stone) is serving hot chocolate to Lady Sarah (Weisz) and Queen Anne (Colman). “None for the Queen,” says Lady Sarah, “you cannot have hot chocolate – your stomach – the sugar inflames it!”

Abigail is flummoxed but acquiesces to the Queen, even if it means “getting a bucket and a mop for the aftermath.”

Watch the clip below, which was first reported by cineuropa.