A couple of years after the success of The Queen, which dealt with the fallout and effects of Princess Diana's tragic death on the royal family, we started to see movement on a number of films that wanted to focus more on her life and marriage to former husband, Prince Charles. Oliver Hirschbiegel, director of the Adolf Hitler biopic, Downfall, was the furthest along by entering talks with Jessica Chastain to star in Caught in Flight. Diana's affair with famed heart surgeon, Hasnat Khan, would be the centerpiece. Deemed the "love of her life" by some friends, the relationship began shortly before her divorce from Charles and ended not long before her death in 1997.
Not much was heard about the film since then, and it appears there have been some pretty big changes. Chastain appears to be out, and now Naomi Watts is in to play the royal sweetheart in Hirschbiegel's film. Stephen Jeffreys(The Libertine) wrote the script, with production set to begin later this year in the UK. Watts is no stranger to playing famous, controversial women, such as Valerie Plame and Helen Gandy, but nobody that will draw quite the attention as portraying Princess Di.
Chastain's busy schedule is likely the culprit for her departure, as the sought after actress is soon to begin filming Kathryn Bigelow's hunt for Osama Bin Laden film. [Deadline]
