The header photo is the first promotional image of Naomi Watts in character as Princess Diana (or Diana, Princess of Wales for you anal retentives out there). As we discussed earlier this week, Naomi is filming Caught In Flight (now called simply Diana), the (mostly true) story of Diana’s years-long relationship with Hasnat Khan, and their breakup which led to Diana’s rebound relationship with Dodi Fayed. I’m also including some more paparazzi photos (at the end of the post) from the film shoot in Croatia. I have to say… continue to say, rather, that the production really should have gone the extra mile to find Naomi a better Diana wig. This thing looks a busted, repurposed Farrah Fawcett wig from the 1970s. It’s AWFUL. Anyway, here’s some addition information about the film:
With her blonde hair perfectly coiffed, a jewelled choker sitting around her neck and a plunging black dress highlighting her slim frame, there is certainly no confusion about which role Naomi Watts is taking in on her new movie.
In the first official picture from the upcoming movie about Princess Diana, Naomi takes on what was arguably the late princess’ trademark look. The official shot has emerged after it was announced that the movie, previously reported to be called Caught In Flight, will go by the title of just Diana.
Naomi appears to be completely flinging herself into the role after initially feeling apprehensive about taking the part. However, it seems the chance to work with German director Oliver Hirschbiegel, who is famous for his portrayal of the last days of Hitler in his bunker in Downfall, was too good to turn down.
The acclaimed filmmaker said that Naomi is ‘a truly exceptional actress’ who embodies ‘the warmth, humanity and empathy’ of the ‘global icon’ Princess Diana. And she was certainly working hard to make sure her performance at the nighttime dinner party scenes was note perfect. She was seen spending much of the day preparing, and was locked in discussions with Oliver about the best way to approach filming the important scenes.
The film is a particularly difficult balancing act, as it follows the last two years of the tragic royal’s life before her death in 1997. The film is thought to focus on her relationship with heart surgeon Dr Hasnat Khan and also looks at her time with Dodi Fayed, who she was with at the time she died. The movie will include her death, aged 36, in a car in a Paris tunnel in 1997 with Dodi.
Miss Watts, who at the start of her career starred in Australian daytime soap Home and Away, has admitted she is ‘absolutely terrified’ of playing the part of the princess. The Oscar-nominated actress has said of her controversial new role: ‘She is a part of our history, an incredible woman and fascinating but a tragic ending. The film-makers came to me and it’s a good script and it’s very scary and I kind of wanted to say “no” but I couldn’t.’
Miss Watts moved to London’s Kensington to prepare for the role and was said to have visited Diana’s favourite places -such as The Harbour Club and Beauchamp Place – as part of the preparations to get into character.
Filming of Diana comes after news that another movie about the tragic princess has been scrapped.
The Keith Allen-directed documentary Unlawful Killing, about the deaths of the British princess and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed in a Paris car crash in 1997, claimed the royal was murdered in an establishment plot involving her former father-in-law Prince Philip.However, the movie, which was screened at both the Cannes Film Festival in France and the Galway Film Festival in Ireland in 2011, will not be released after producers failed to secure insurance to protect distributors against legal action.
Lawyers had warned there are 87 contentious allegations that would have to be cut before a British screening and although there were plans to release it in the US in August to coincide with the 15th anniversary of the deaths, the insurance was needed to protect the European offices of the distributors.
A spokesman for the movie said: ‘Unlawful Killing has been sold all around the world. But there was a specific form of insurance needed by the US distributors to cover them for their French and UK offices. This proved impossible to secure. The film has been withdrawn in perpetuity.’
I believe Naomi is a talented actress, and I think she’s capable of pulling off the Diana “role”. But I do have doubts about A) whether this particular Diana story should be told and B) Whether enough time has passed to do a Diana film without it blowing up in Naomi’s face. The wig isn’t inspiring confidence that this is a well-produced film, honestly. And I agree with some of our commenters – I kind of think they should have given Naomi a prosthetic Diana nose.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
THE #1 sign of a Princess Diana movie is bad hair…
hahaha..bad hair is an awful sign, look at lohan’s liz and dick wigs, can’t wait to see them both
she looks more like kate gosselini
She looks fine. It’s a movie for godsake!
She playing a real person and not some made up character or character from a book where you have leeway on what they look. When you playing a real person you have to get the look right because people already know what she looks like and if people can’t see Diana in her the movie won’t do good.
(It’s a movie for godsake) that like saying lindsay lohan look as elizabeth taylor is fine because it just a movie. Lol
+1
I don´t see Diana on her at all 🙁
Again. It’s just a movie. If you don’t like Noami as Diana or Lilo as Elizabeth, just don’t watch them. 😉
Once again she play a real person not a factional character.
If its just a movie why bother to have Naomi in a wig in the first place why not make her a red head, hell they can just Put John Travolta in a wig and have him play the part, if it’s just a movie and call it a day.
Once again,,SHe is supposed to be Princess Diana..not a cartoon . The wigs are horrible and Lohan is a loser that looks nothing like Liz and this broad looks nothing like the princess. If you want to go see the cartoons go, but those of us that respected Princess Di would have liked to see some class in the movie , so far it is a joke and so is the one about Liz.
Pretty dumb comment here! In case you did not know Princess Diana was well liked and revered all over the world so yes I’d like her to be represented accurately!
Well, let’s be honest, Diana’s hairstyle was pretty bad. It was the style at the time, but even then it didn’t really flatter her.
Agree.
Diana’s hair always bugged the crap out of me, so many, many layers.
She finally started to get the right idea near the end of her life and grew out some of those layers. I remember being stunned by that last photo shoot at how much better she, including her hair, looked.
My English mother-in-law and sister-in-law still have the Diana haircut! It was horrible then, and just as horrible now.
Haircut or not, Diana’s hair was abundant and pretty.
This fugly wig looks as if I cut my fine wimpy, scarce hair in a Diana style. Cannot pul it off. They should have tried a bit harder.
Yup! A better wig and a prosthetic Diana nose would at least make her more believable as Diana.
Really, these photos don’t give me the best feeling about the film. I hope it’s better than the costuming, because visually I can’t even begin to convince myself that Naomi Watts is Diana.
Yeah her wig is busted. But Diana also had awful busted hair in real life. The 90s were terrible.
+1
They’re going to do this movie no matter what, so at least they got a good actress! I’d bet she’s got the mannerisms down and probably resembles Diana more in action.
I just don’t understand why this film is being made. I KNEW that the only reason Watts signed on was for the chance to work with Hirschbiegel. There is no other logical reason why she would attach her name to this.
Another reason might be that Meryl Streep won an Oscar for playing Margaret Thatcher, I´m pretty sure Naomi is counting on an Oscar nomination.
In a few pics she looks downright Rielle Hunteresque. The production team really should rethink the wig
Major +1, and two snaps up!
It really does look like a ‘liz & dick’ cheap arse life time movie. Not a good move Naomi
Besides the bad hair, jewelry and clothes Naomi just can not play Diana. She has neither the warmth or understanding to play her. The fact she said yes show’s very bad judgement on her part. I predict this will go straight to DVD. It actually looks more like a made for TV telemovie except they haven’t worried about the jewelry and outfits Diana wore. Diana had very specific signature jewelry that thing on Naomi’s neck is nothing like Diana would wear and certainly not with those earrings. If they can’t get the details right it is going to bomb badly. Naomi does cry very well though that is probably why the chose her.
The wig is bad. Naomi is such a good actress. I can’t imagine it could be that bad if she said yes. I’m just not happy about nicole kidman playing grace kelly. She’s nearly 20 years too old. I always thought goop was supposed to be the new grace kelly.
WIG OF DOOM!
Make that plural, wigs…looks like she has a couple. But lol, so true.
Please!? she in NO way looks, acts or brings to mind the memory of anything like Diana.. She looks like middle age herself.. with nicer clothes and makeup.
Diana’s hair looked great on her. She always looked great. These photos are gross. That wig looks exactly like Camilla’s hair. Good luck surviving that backlash, Naomi…..
Is this a Lifetime movie? Why not just get Lindsay to play Diana, and then Princess Grace. Make it a Lindsay Lohan Trilogy of Great Female Icons, the trashy version. Lindsay then could play Cleptopatra, the Stealing Years. Dealihia, Sampsons back alley girl…it could go on and on. Lindsay could have work and we could have entertainment…budget but still good for a laugh.
Lol
Yeah, no, I like Naomi a lot but …. she not only looks nothing like Diana, she’s also too old. I know I know, she’s not that much older than Diana was at the time but it does make a difference, especially the lower half of her face.
The wigs do look busted and so did Diana’s hair at times but to be fair, it was the 90s and she did pull it off back then. Of course today we despise the hairstyles but I already despise some hairstyles from 7 years ago.
Isn’t she a little old to play Diana?
I thought the same thing..
a little? try a decade and a half. they must have slathered the camera lenses up with vaseline ’cause there ain’t no way those craters on her face are not going to show on film.
The wig may be busted, but it’s still better than Diana’s actual hair :/
Seriously, that wig looks just like Diana’s actual hair. Both wig and real life hairdo were busted to heck. I don’t really see the conflict.
This movie looks pretty bad; it’s a shame.
This woman looks nothing like Diana. Why are they still making Diana movies anyway?
Enough time? How long are they supposed to wait? Kinda confused. Her hair looks pretty spot on with Dianas but I’m not sure why she didnt just get her own hair cut.
She looks old to play Diana. Is there a retouching to films?
That hair or wig she is wearing looks nothing similar to Diana’s! I’m sure Naomi is a great actress and everything but if they can not get their hair right at least how they expect people really will think they are “watching” Diana?
Diana was unique, it’s not gonna be easy to portray her.
Bad hair and the wrong nose are distracting. Diana was known for her charity work and her looks and if you mess up the looks what else is there?? If you’re going to do it, get it right.
This whole TV movie of Diana is a travesty. Naomi doesn’t even come close to replicating her beauty. Who could? It saddens me to think that after all this time, people are still trying to find a way to make money off of her memory. That’s all.
i dont mean to be disrespectful but much of diana’s beauty was in her actions and spirit, not her appearance. at the foundation, princess diana was not some remarkably beautiful or even pretty woman. she kinda looked like an average mom. although there was nothing average about her.
“at the foundation, princess diana was not some remarkably beautiful or even pretty woman. she kinda looked like an average mom.”
@ amoi – Everyone has the right to their own opinion. But average? Never. Pretty, yes. Beautiful, in her own classy way, always.
I agree DanaG and others; there is a wealth of info on Princess D on the internet, archives, and elsewhere it’s not ancient history there is no excuse for not getting details right; i lived through the 80s and i doubt this movie will get the feel of the times or Princess D’s relation/connection to the pop culture of the time right. It just looks cheap all the way around.
In fact, in that first pic, Naomi watts looks like 80s tv star Erin Gray.
Naomi Watts needed the money? That’s the only reason that seems plausible.
after seen what biopics have done to the careers of Michelle Williams, Marion Cotillard and others, I think most actresses would have difficulties turning down such roles. If they want instant recognition in Hollywood, playing a famous person in a melodramatic film is the way to go.
diana was an imposing figure, statuesque and had an effortlessness to her charm. No no naomi
The movie should have had a bigger budget, the clothing looks rather cheap. Diana wore haute couture, Valentino, Dior and Versace. I don’t mind Naomi playing her, she is a good actress and might actually captures the essence.
BINGO on the nose…i was thinking the same when looking at the first pic, naomi’s got the eyes…but no on the perky nose..
I just can’t wrap my head around Naomi as Diana, especially after seeing these pics. They really should have gone with a completely unknown actress who at least resembled Diana.
She looks more like Princess Charlene.