In a strange turn of events, today has become all about Alfred Hitchcock's favorite blonde ladies. Earlier today it was reported that Kim Novak is upset about the use of Bernard Herrmann's score from Vertigo in Michel Hazanavicius' The Artist, and now a biopic about Grace Kelly, who starred in Rear Window, Dial M For Murder and To Catch A Thief, has landed a director. But if you're expecting a movie about Kelly's glamorous movie career, you are mistaken.
Olivier Dahan, who is best known for directing the Oscar-winning La Vie en Rose, is now attached to direct Grace Of Monaco, which is set after Kelly retired from acting to be the princess of the French principality. According to Deadline, Dahan has already begun taking meetings with producer Pierre-Ange Le Pogam to find the proper actress to play the Hollywood starlet turned royalty. The story will be set during the six months of 1962 when Charles De Gaulle and Monaco’s Prince Rainier III began a dispute over Monaco's existence as a tax haven. As pressure escalated between the two sides, Kelly executed political maneuverings that ended up saving Monaco.
As with all big biopics, the next all-important step is to find the perfect actress to play Grace Kelly. There are plenty of blonde actresses in Hollywood that could fit the bill physically, but not as many that have the talent to match. It's almost a shame that Michelle Williams played Marilyn Monroe just last year, as I could see her easily slipping into the role of Kelly as well (then again, I'd put Michelle Williams in just about any role). Instead of spewing off a list of names that would also be well suited, I shall leave it up to you: who has the talent and the looks to play Grace Kelly in Grace of Monaco?
