Kristen Stewart, who has some experience being hounded by the media, will play Princess Diana
According to Deadline, Kristen Stewart has signed on to star as Princess Diana in Spencer, a drama from Jackie director Pablo Larraín that sounds like it might as well be a spiritual sequel to his 2016 film. That one was all about Jackie Kennedy in the immediate aftermath of her husband’s assassination, and while this new one isn’t about Diana’s death, it is about a similarly pivotal moment in her life—specifically a three-day break from royal business during the holidays in the ‘90s when she decided to divorce Prince Charles.
Deadline spoke to Larraín about the movie, and he explained that growing up in Chile meant that he wasn’t as exposed to British royal drama as others were, but he likes this story because it’s an “upside down” version of a fairy tale. He says that the stories are usually about a princess marrying a prince and then becoming the queen, but Diana chose not to be queen so she could just live her own life (a decision that seems to have made an impression on her sons). The Deadline story makes it sound like this will be a particularly optimistic take on Diana’s life, positioning her decision to break off a failing marriage as an opportunity for growth, and thus it apparently won’t be touching on her death just a year or so later.
As for Stewart, she was obviously thrust into the spotlight at a young age because of the Twilight movies and similarly chose to mostly step back from high-profile projects after that series ended in favor of cultivating a more interesting acting career. So there are some parallels. Deadline says production will start early next year.