Even in the U.S. where we renounced the aristocracy, we are mesmerized by the royals. If television's non-stop coverage of Prince Williams and Kate Middleton's royal wedding or Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, wasn't enough to convince you of our fascination, then consider all the biopics about royalty that have won Oscar acclaim in years past. There's been The King's Speech, The Queen, The Young Victoria, The Duchess, and Elizabeth, just to name a few. We love the luxury of these films' worlds, the snootiness of their guarded nobles, and the tour de force performances that typically come along with their grandiose tales.
And yet, we adored the late Princess Diana for all the ways she wasn't a typical royal, her perceived warmth, generosity, casual grace and everygirl quality. This paradox offers an incredible challenge to any filmmaker who would dare tackle Diana's tragic tale, yet German director Oliver Hirschbiegel (Downfall) is in the works on shaping a drama from Diana's last two years of life. Penned by Libertine scribe Stephen Jeffreys, Caught in Flight centers on Diana's love affair with Dr. Hasnat Kahn, which began in 1995 and ended just months before her fatal car accident in 1997.
Back in February we reported Naomi Watts won the role of Diana, and now we share a first glimpse of her in costume, courtesy of Kinopoisk (via The Playlist.)
(IMAGE NO LONGER AVAILABLE)
With Watts donning Diana's iconic hairstyle, the resemblance is striking. But she will still have to work hard to win over some of Diana's most devoted fans, especially as Caught in Flight doesn't promise to be a totally complimentary portrait of the People's Princess. The script could show Diana using Dodi Fayed—who died by her side in that Paris tunnel—as a means to make Kahn (Lost's Naveen Andrews) jealous, as it reportedly portrays her "as a damaged person who stalks the doctor after he ends the affair." Basically, for better or worse, Caught in Flight is sure to draw notice.
