Those who threw a strop when Meryl Streep dared to snatch the meaty role of Margaret Thatcher from the hands of British actresses will likely start foaming once more at the idea that an American will tackle Princess Diana in a controversial new biopic. But it’s true: Jessica Chastain is now attached to play her in Caught In Flight.
Oliver Hirschbiegel, the director who hit the cinematic heights with Downfall then came down to Earth with a bump on The Invasion, is also attached, and Ecosse Films is now attempting to lock down distribution deals at the American Film Market.
According to Thompson on Hollywood, Caught In Flight will follow the love affair between Diana and Hasnat Khan, a passionate two-year relationship. Kahn refused to talk about the affair for years after Diana died, finally spilling the beans in 2008.
The script by The Libertine’s Steven Jeffreys is said to portray Diana in an unflattering light, and Hirschbiegel plans to shoot the film in several locations, including Paris, where the Princess died in a car crash in 1997.
Prolific actress Chastain, who appeared this year in The Tree Of Life, The Debt and The Help, will next show up in **Take Shelter **followed by Coriolanus.