Neon debuted a teaser and first-look footage Wednesday of “Spencer,” in which Kristen Stewart plays the late Princess Diana.
The first look begins with a montage of elaborate outfits laid out for Princess Diana, and Diana cooped up in the bathroom, hiding out from everyone else who have sat down for what looks like a meal around Christmas time. The footage also shows Diana dancing through the palace, running through the fields, sauntering through the halls in a silver dress, and being hounded by the paparazzi. It’s clear from the teaser that Diana is at the end of her rope and wants to leave, but she needs to stay in line.
Neon then showed footage of a conversation between Diana and Prince Charles across a snooker table, creating a physical space between the couple that was known to be troubled. They discuss her private and public persona and the way she decides to dress, and they also argue about one of their sons taking up shooting. It’s intense and full of anxiety and ends with Charles rolling over a black ball that Diana catches.
“Spencer” focuses on the one weekend when Princess Diana decided to leave her marriage to Prince Charles during Christmas 1991. Spencer was her maiden name before she wed the British royal. Here’s the full synopsis for the film:
December, 1991: The Prince and Princess of Wales’ marriage has long since grown cold. Though rumours of affairs and a divorce abound, peace is ordained for the Christmas festivities at Sandringham Estate. There’s eating and drinking, shooting and hunting. Diana knows the game. This year, things will be a whole lot different.
Stewart stars as Princess Diana in “Spencer,” which co-stars Timothy Spall, Sally Hawkins and Sean Harris.
The film is directed by Pablo Larraín, who transformed Natalie Portman into Jackie Kennedy for the film “Jackie,” and is written by Steven Knight, known for “Peaky Blinders,” “Locke” and “Dirty Pretty Things.”
The film is making its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival but will also play Toronto, and Neon and Topic Studios are jointly distributing the film in theaters this awards season on November 5, and the film’s run will somewhat coincide with the 25th anniversary of Diana’s death in 2022.
No trailer has been released online yet, but Neon did release a striking new teaser poster for the film, which you can see below.