In June 2020, news broke that Kristen Stewart would be playing Princess Diana in a new biopic, Spencer. And now it's almost here: The highly anticipated film, with Oscar buzz for Kristen Stewart's performance as Diana, finally comes out Friday, November 5.
The film, which calls itself “a fable from a true tragedy,” reimagines events that may have transpired over a three-day Christmas holiday with the royal family in the early ’90s, which led to Diana's decision to leave Prince Charles.
In an interview with InStyle, Spencer hair and makeup designer Wakana Yoshihara said the wigs Stewart wore for the film cost almost $6,000. Two wigs were made for Stewart for the film. “This process took about six weeks, and I probably colored the wig three times before I met Kristen,” Yoshihara told the publication. “When we did the first fitting, I knew the color wasn't right, so I colored it again.”
Yoshihara also shared with InStyle that originally Stewart wasn't totally on board with the wig. “In the beginning, [Kristen] didn't want to wear a wig, I think because she didn't have experience wearing a very good wig,” Yoshihara said. “Then she put this one on, and with the makeup, we got great feedback. She was very happy and confident with it.”
The teaser footage of the film shows the lavish Christmas festivities at the queen’s Sandringham Estate, as well as our first look at Stewart as the Princess of Wales. Opposite Jack Farthing as Prince Charles, Stewart channels the heartbreak and pressure Princess Diana faced in their declining marriage.
Watch the teaser trailer below:
In late August, Neon Films shared on Twitter that the film will be released only in theaters on November 5, 2021 and provided a first look at the film’s poster.
Neon Films previously released a photo of Stewart as Lady Diana, and the resemblance is uncanny. Take a look, below.
Yes, that’s a photo of Kristen Stewart, not Princess Diana. I know; I had to look at it several times too just for it to register.
Stewart’s transformation here is one of the most awe-inspiring in recent film memory. Remember when Charlize Theron looked exactly like Megyn Kelly in Bombshell (also, her role in Monster)? Or when Nicole Kidman became Virginia Woolf in The Hours? Yeah, this is that level.
“Spencer is a dive inside an emotional imagining of who Diana was at a pivotal turning point in her life,” Stewart said in a quote released by Neon.
In March 2021, Neon released a photo of Stewart as Princess Diana wearing a copy of Princess Diana’s iconic engagement ring:
So what, exactly, do we know about this film? Not much, but here's what we have:
The release date. November 5, 2021. In theaters.
What’s it about? Per the press release, Spencer “focuses on one weekend in the life of Princess Diana, as she spends the Christmas holiday with the royal family at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, and decides to leave her marriage to Prince Charles.” Here is more of the official description:
“December 1991: The Prince and Princess of Wales’s marriage has long since grown cold. Though rumors of affairs and a divorce abound, peace is ordained for the Christmas festivities at Sandringham estate. There’s eating and drinking, shooting, and hunting. Diana knows the game. This year, things will be a whole lot different.”
The director. Pablo Larraín.
The screenwriter. Steven Knight.
The cast. Kristen Stewart plays Princess Diana. She’s joined by Timothy Spall (Mr. Turner, The Party), Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water, Paddington), and Sean Harris (Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Prometheus); however, their roles weren’t specified by Neon.
In March 2021, it was revealed Jack Farthing will be playing Prince Charles.
Principal photography started in January 2021.
We’ll update this post with more details as they come in.
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