Queen Elizabeth has an upcoming biopic that will not feature any other actress. The movie from director Roger Michell will have the Queen playing herself through the magic of cinema.
But, the Queen will not be heading to a movie studio or be expected to memorize scripts so she can star in her own movie. According to reports, Michell will use actual archive footage of Queen Elizabeth, from her childhood to her current age, to create a film that will celebrate her life. He said he won't hire actors because he wants the movie to be authentic and reflective of who the people view as the Queen.
Michell and his staff have been poring over nine decades of footage and reels of the monarch. One of their discoveries is a video of then one-year-old Elizabeth with her father, Prince Albert, the Duke of York. This footage was taken before any one of them realized that they would be sitting on the throne.
The director is also asking the British public to share their videos of Queen Elizabeth, especially those taken with a Super-8 camera. They might have some forgotten clips, with the Queen in it, tucked away in their attic which the filmmaker might use for his upcoming movie.
George Fenton will create the score for the film, aptly titled Elizabeth, while the director will get help from archivist Emily Thomas and editor Joanna Crickmay. The team said that it's a challenging but beautiful project that they plan to complete in at least six months.
Michell wants the movie to be ready before the start of the different fall movie festivals around the world in 2021. The director said that Elizabeth will be a tribute to the longest living reigning monarch. The film will show a side to her that's funny, mischievous, inappropriate, playful and affectionate.
The director made a mark for movies like Notting Hill with Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant and My Cousin Rachel starring Rachel Weisz and Sam Claflin.
Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth returned to her official duties this week as she makes Windsor Castle her home until December. The monarch has been isolating from the public since the middle of March but she will soon be conducting small royal engagements in Windsor.
The Queen is not expected to be back at Buckingham Palace except for a few small-scale events. Even then, Queen Elizabeth is expected to heed to the government's advice and safety precautions.
