Kristen Stewart Morphs Into Princess Diana For New Film

Kristen Stewart has gone royal.

The first image of the Twilight star as Princess Diana in the upcoming film Spencer has been released. The biopic, directed by Pablo Larraín, focuses on a single momentous weekend in the young royal’s life. According to a press release, in takes place in 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.”

The first photo from the film appears to show Stewart dressed in an outfit similar to what Diana wore on Christmas Day at Sandringham in 1993. The script was written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight.

Stewart, 30, received criticism when she was first cast in the role, and expressed nervousness and excitement about taking on such an iconic part, telling Instyle: "We don't start shooting until mid-January. The accent is intimidating as all hell because people know that voice, and it's so, so distinct and particular. I'm working on it now and already have my dialect coach. In terms of research, I've gotten through two and a half biographies, and I'm finishing all the material before I actually go make the movie. It's one of the saddest stories to exist ever, and I don't want to just play Diana — I want to know her implicitly. I haven't been this excited about playing a part, by the way, in so long."

Principal photography on Spencer has begun, with shooting taking place in the UK and Germany. The movie is expected to be released in this fall, just ahead of the 25th anniversary of Diana's death.

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