‘I kind of absolutely hate it’
Eight years after playing a gritty fairy tale princess in Snow White and the Huntsman, Kristen Stewart is ascending to for-real royalty in the new drama, Spencer. Directed by Pablo LarraĂn, the film depicts the bitter end of the seemingly storybook romance between Prince Charles and Princess Diana, to be played by Stewart. âWe all grew up, at least I did in my generation, reading and understanding what a fairy tale is,â LarraĂn recently told Deadline. âUsually, the prince comes and finds the princess, invites her to become his wife and eventually she becomes queen. That is the fairy tale. When someone decides not to be the queen, and says, âIâd rather go and be myself,â itâs a big, big decision, a fairy tale upside down. Iâve always been very surprised by that and thought it must have been very hard to do. That is the heart of the movie.â
This isnât the first time that LarraĂn has made a bold biopic casting choice. In 2016, he directed Natalie Portman to an Oscar nomination as Jackie Kennedy in Jackie. âI couldnât imagine the movie without her,â he told Yahoo Entertainment at the time. âNatalie resembles the real person. But Iâm not that into the way they look. I look for someone who can create the illusion of that person. Iâm not a journalist or a historian.â
Speaking with Deadline, the director said that Stewart â who he describes as âone of the great actors around todayâ â was a natural choice to play Diana Spencer. âKristen can be many things, and she can be very mysterious and very fragile and ultimately very strong as well, which is what we need,â he explained, adding that the film wonât depict Dianaâs death in 1997. (Maybe weâll get a flashback to the time she danced with John Travolta.) âThe combination of those elements made me think of her. I think sheâs going to do something stunning and intriguing at the same time. She is this force of nature.â
Not everyone on Twitter was persuaded by LarraĂnâs impassioned case for Stewartâs casting.
UM you could find a British actress
â Lucky Cedarlane (@LuckyCedarlane) June 17, 2020
kristen stewart as lady diana…. i kind of absolutely hate it
â Ù (@filmsbye) June 17, 2020
On the other hand, Stewartâs sizable social media fanbase is ready to book advanced tickets for Spencer, which is set to start filming early next year. As many noted, the actress is uniquely suited to the role having had to live much of her life in the public eye â as well as the paparazziâs eyes â ever since the Twilight franchise rocketed her to fame. And since that series wrapped up in 2012, Stewart has delivered a series of acclaimed performances in movies like Clouds of Sils Maria, Personal Shopper and last yearâs Seberg, in which she delivered a career-best star turn as â60s movie star, Jean Seberg.
people hating on kristen stewart for being casted as princess diana when the only movies theyâve seen of her are the twilight movies pic.twitter.com/x6sgTgEih3
â ianâš (@vividstyIe) June 17, 2020
Kristen Stewart playing a famous woman who was doggedly pursued by a press that made a savage feast out of her personal life?
I think she’ll be able to tap into that.
â Kristy Puchko (@KristyPuchko) June 17, 2020
Kristen Stewart playing Princess Diana in a PABLO FREAKINâ LARRAĂN FILM? Apocalypse cancelled!
â Robbie Collin (@robbiereviews) June 17, 2020
does this mean the new Princess Diana movie will feature Kristen Stewart doing lots of gay yearning? asking for me, a gay yearner
â they 4 them (@ashnitweets) June 17, 2020
Spencer will start shooting in 2021
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