Current Oscar nominee Isabella Rossellini has lined up her next role with Mike Newell’s Wallis Simpson biopic opposite Joan Collins.
“I am absolutely thrilled to join the incomparable Joan Collins and the brilliant Mike Newell in bringing this extraordinary story back to life,” Rossellini said in a Wednesday statement. “Louise Fennell’s script allows us to delve into the complex and devastating relationship between these two iconic women, the profound impact they had on one another and their lasting mark on history.”
Newell will indeed direct off a script from Louise Fennell with John Gore Studios producing. The biopic chronicles the final years of Simpson, the American divorcee who became the Duchess of Windsor after marrying King Edward VIII — with her social status perhaps leading to his abdication. The “Conclave” actress will play Suzanne Blum, the Duchess’s French lawyer who found herself wrapped up in the controversy.
“Isabella Rossellini possesses an immense and captivating talent, her ability to embody complex characters with depth and authenticity inspires audiences and elevates every story she tells,” producer John Gore added. “Attracting such a stellar cast is testament to the quality of this project. When you combine such great actors with Mike Newell’s vision and Louise Fennell’s gripping script, you achieve a recipe for something truly exciting.”
Richard Holmes and Francis Hopkinson are also producing with EPs Hilary Strong, Michael Foster and Percy Gibson.
Filming is set to start in May in the U.K.
