Tulip Fever trailer: Alicia Vikander has a steamy affair while Christoph Waltz wears a giant ruff

Penned by Tom Stoppard, the film sees Vikander's unhappily married woman engage in a passionate affair with the man hired to paint her portrait

The potential scope for steamy affairs set in historical periods is pretty much endless, with filmmakers essentially left to throw a dart at a history book and see what lands.

The latest spin on the genre is Tulip Fever, placing the action in 17th century Amsterdam, though its high-profile cast and creators could actually attract some heavy awards interest once it lands.

For one, it's penned by Tom Stoppard, adapting Deborah Moggach's book of the same name, and directed by The Other Boleyn Girl's Justin Chadwick.

Add to that its cast: Alicia Vikander, Judi Dench, Christoph Waltz, Dane DeHaan, Holliday Grainger, Jack O'Connell, Zack Galifianakis (sure?), Matthew Morrison, Tom Hollander, Cara Delevingne, Cressida Bonas, and David Harewood.

Vikander stars as an unhappily married woman who starts an affair with the painter (DeHaan) hired by her husband (Waltz) to paint her portrait, with the lovers eventually taking a chance on the booming market for tulip bulbs in an effort to raise the money needed to run away together.

Tulip Fever is set for a US release date of 25 August, though there's no word yet on a UK release date.