Kristen Stewart to essay Princess Diana in biopic ‘Spencer’

Pablo Larrain will direct the film that will centre around the Princess of Wales’ decision to leave Prince Charles while holidaying with the British royals

Kristen Stewart

Hollywood star Kristen Stewart will be essaying the role of Princess Diana in filmmaker Pablo Larrain’s Spencer.

The film, which will centre around the Princess of Wales’ decision to leave Prince Charles while holidaying with the British royals, has a script from Steven Knight of “Peaky Blinders” fame.

According to

Deadline , the story takes place over three days, in one of Princess Diana’s final Christmas holidays in the House of Windsor in their Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England.

Larrain, whose directorial credits includes critically-acclaimed films such as “Jackie”, “Neruda” and “Ema”, will also produce the movie along with Juan de Dios, Jonas Dornbach, Janine Jackowski and Paul Webster.

FilmNation Entertainment is handling the international rights and will introduce the film to buyers at the upcoming virtual Cannes market.

Larrain said during his childhood, he used to eagerly follow the endless coverage of the royal couple’s union that was frayed by the pressures of fame and the crown.

“We all grew up, at least I did in my generation, reading and understanding what a fairy tale is. Usually, the prince comes and finds the princess, invites her to become his wife and eventually she becomes queen. That is the fairy tale,” he said.

“When someone decides not to be the queen, and says, I’d rather go and be myself, it’s a big big decision, a fairy tale upside down. I’ve always been very surprised by that and thought it must have been very hard to do. That is the heart of the movie,” the filmmaker said.

Stewart most recently worked on Charlie’s Angels reboot. She will next star in Clea DuVall’s Happiest Season , opposite Mackenzie Davis.