Kristen Stewart will play the late Princess Diana in a new film titled "Spencer," and according to Deadline (opens in new tab), Pablo Larraín will direct Stewart in the new drama, which will begin production in 2021. He is no stranger to directing some of history's most fascinating women, having also directed the acclaimed 2016 "Jackie," starring Natalie Portman as Jacqueline Kennedy shortly after John F. Kennedy's murder.

According to Deadline, the film, written by Steven Knight, takes place over a weekend in the early 90s when Princess Diana finally decides to end her marriage to Prince Charles and move on with her life apart from the royal family. The story will reportedly unfold over three days, and viewers will enter one of the last royal Christmas vacations spent at the Windsors' home at the Queen's Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England.

"We all, at least in my generation, grew up reading and understanding what a fairy tale is. Usually, a prince comes along, finds a princess, invites her to be his wife, and she eventually becomes the queen. That's the fairy tale," Laraine told Deadline. When someone decides they don't want to be queen and they want to be themselves, it's a big decision and it turns the fairy tale upside down. I was always surprised by that and thought it must have been very difficult. That's the heart of this film."

The film does not focus on Diana's tragic death in 1997, but on the breakdown of her relationship with Prince Charles and her intense love for her two children, Princes William and Harry.

The Chilean-born director expressed that he has "always been intrigued and fascinated" by the role of the royal family in world culture. He explained that the film will focus on how Diana's inner independence has continued to inspire generations of women to this day.

"We decided to go into a story about identity. She's a woman who, in her cinematic journey, decides and realizes that she wants to be the woman she was before she met Charles."

Lorraine praised Stewart as an actress and spoke of her confidence in her playing the nation's princess.

"To do this well, you need something very important in a movie: mystery," he said of Stewart's casting. Kristen can be many things, she can be very mysterious, very vulnerable, and ultimately very strong. It was the combination of those elements that made me think of her. It's beautiful to see how she reacts to the script and how she approaches the character. I think she will give a brilliant and intriguing performance. I am very happy to have her on board. As a filmmaker, when you have someone who can carry dramatic and narrative weight with just her eyes, you have a strong lead who can deliver what we're looking for."

Spencer's news also arrives months before another on-screen portrayal of Diana: the highly anticipated fourth season of The Crown. Rising British actress Emma Colin plays the young Mrs. Spencer in the first Netflix series to include a storyline about the late royal family.

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