Actress Kristen Stewart, who will star in the Princess Diana movie Spencer, was about seven or eight years old when the Princess of Wales died. However, she recalled being "viscerally affected" by the royal's funeral in 1997.
Speaking with InStyle, Stewart said that she remembers some of the imagery of this tragic incident in the royal family, especially the public's reaction. The actress said that Princess Diana was striking for many people because she was different than the cold and distant members of the royal family.
Now that she's working on the movie about the final months of Princess Diana's life, Stewart said that she's discovering and unfolding layers of Prince William and Harry's mother. She admits that she has become emotionally invested in the Princess of Wales that she thinks she was "stolen" from the people.
In another interview, Stewart said that the story of Lady Di's life is the "saddest stories to exist" but she is excited about playing the famous royal on the big screen.
Spencer is a project from the creator and writer of Peaky Blinders, Steven Knight, and director Pablo Larraín. It will center on the last Christmas holiday Diana spent with the royal family, where she decided that her marriage to Prince Charles can't be saved.
The production has yet to cast the actor who will play the Prince of Wales. Stewart said that they will begin with principal photography in early 2021.
Meanwhile, another film will tackle the life of Princess Diana, which will be released in time for her 25th year death anniversary in 2021. This time it's a documentary from director and Oscar winner Ed Perkins.
The biography will be told using different old clips of the Princess of Wales, which will be stitched together and given a fresh take for the new generation. The movie will be released in theaters but it will also have a TV premiere on HBO. The dates for the releases have not yet been set.
But, the most anticipated production to give its spin on the story of Princess Diana is the upcoming release of The Crown season 4 on Netflix. Newcomer Emma Corrin will play the People's Princess in the award-winning TV series.
Corrin said that the one thing she learned about her character was that she didn't fit in the royal family. The actress said that Lady Diana comes from a different world but entered a new environment where she didn't receive any comfort or support.
The Crown season 4 will premiere on Netflix on Nov. 15. Josh O'Connor will play Prince Charles. By season 5, Princess Diana will be played by an older actress, Elizabeth Debicki.
