Scene - Blogs - The actress who will portray Princess Di in a movie

The actress who will portray Princess Di in a movie
Published: 2/9/2012 4:54 PM
Last Modified: 2/10/2012 9:26 AM

Diana Spencer

Naomi Watts

A woman born in England will play Princess Di on film, not a California girl.

Naomi Watts, who was raised in Australia but born in England, won the role in "Caught in Flight," a film that reportedly will show Diana during the last two years of her life.

This is a film project to which Jessica Chastain ("The Help," "The Tree of Life") was previously attached. But I have to imagine that there was tremendous pressure on the filmmakers to not cast an American (Chastain is from California) and instead cast someone British to play their icon.

If that is the case, the hiring of Watts is not that surprising to me. The director on this project is Oliver Hirschbiegel, a German filmmaker best known for his Oscar-nominated foreign film "Downfall."

But the director made his English-language debut in 2007 with "The Invasion," a remake of "The Invasion of the Body Snatchers." Hirschbiegel's star of "The Invasion" was Nicole Kidman.

Nicole's longtime best friend: Naomi Watts. In Hollywood, like in life sometimes, getting the right job can come down to who you know and having made the right connections.

You know Watts from "The Ring" horror film and its sequel. She fit into an ape's hand in "King Kong." Two of her most recent roles have seen her play real people: Valerie Plame in "Fair Game" and Helen Gandy in "J. Edgar."

But can you see her as Lady Di?

Reader Comments

Show: Newest First

Learn About Our Comment Policy

To post comments on tulsaworld.com, you must be an active Tulsa World print or digital subscriber and signed into your account.

To sign in to your account, go to tulsaworld.com/signin.
To activate your print subscription for unlimited digital access and to post comments, go to tulsaworld.com/activate.
To purchase a subscription, go to tulsaworld.com/subscribe.

I See Movies for Free

“I was born a poor, black child” … not me, actually, but Steve Martin’s character in the “The Jerk.” That absurd opening line is just one of the absurd number of film facts, quotes and minutiae contained in movie critic Michael Smith’s brain, at his disposal to toss out on a moment’s notice. It’s a key requirement as Tulsa World film critic to know these things. Michael learned a few other life facts along the way (seven years as a Crystal’s Pizza & Spaghetti manager) before attempting journalism and joining the Tulsa World in 1996, where he’s covered everything from a school shooting in Fort Gibson to a tornado in Stroud to witnessing an execution. A little community theater coverage was sprinkled in there, too. Movies engender many of his happiest memories, from standing in line for “Star Wars” and “Grease” at the Southroads Cinema to the James Bond and Pink Panther movies that always premiered at the enormous Continental Theater.

Follow Michael Smith on Twitter

Subscribe to this blog

Archive

Past Articles By Michael Smith

2/16/2013		Broken Arrow movie theater moves to discount showings
2/15/2013		Review: 'Amour'
2/15/2013		Review: 'A Good Day to Die Hard'
2/15/2013		Review: 'Beautiful Creatures'
2/14/2013		Review: 'Quartet'
2/14/2013		Shirley MacLaine to speak at Osage Casino
2/14/2013		Weekly rewind: February 14
2/14/2013		REVIEW: 'Beautiful Creatures'
2/12/2013		Belgian best picture hopeful 'Amour' opens in Tulsa on Friday
2/10/2013		'Die Hard' marathon at AMC Southroads on Wednesday ends with new film
2/9/2013		Review: 'Identity Thief' a stupid movie from stupid idea
2/8/2013		Oscar audit: Critics choices for best picture hold up over time

Michael Smith's Blog Archive:

2/2013	1/2013	12/2012	11/2012	10/2012	9/2012
8/2012	7/2012	6/2012	5/2012	4/2012	3/2012
2/2012	1/2012	12/2011	11/2011	10/2011	9/2011
8/2011	7/2011	6/2011	5/2011	4/2011	3/2011
2/2011	1/2011	12/2010	11/2010	10/2010	9/2010
8/2010	7/2010	6/2010	5/2010	4/2010	3/2010
2/2010	1/2010	12/2009	11/2009	10/2009	9/2009
8/2009	7/2009	6/2009	5/2009	4/2009	3/2009
2/2009	1/2009	12/2008	11/2008	10/2008	9/2008
8/2008	7/2008	6/2008	5/2008	4/2008	3/2008
2/2008	1/2008	12/2007	11/2007	10/2007	9/2007
8/2007	7/2007	6/2007

michaelsmithTW
michaelsmithTW

Join the conversation

Your bookmark will appear on your Profile page. Please give it a title, and short description so that visitors to your page will understand where the bookmark leads.
Bookmark Title :

Bookmark Text :