- Kristen Stewart stars as Princess Diana in “Spencer,” directed by Pablo Larraín.
- NEON films revealed the first footage of Stewart’s Diana at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
- The film studio released the movie poster of Stewart as Princess Diana, weeping in her wedding dress.
- The first teaser trailer for “Spencer” was released Thursday.
LAS VEGAS — Kristen Stewart rocked CinemaCon – and social media – with the first footage of her role as Princess Diana, facing off against an icy Prince Charles, in “Spencer.”
NEON films revealed the first look of the Pablo Larraín-directed film Wednesday at the national convention of theater owners before releasing the official teaser trailer Thursday. The company also released the first poster from “Spencer” (due out Nov. 5) showing Diana in an elaborate gown, bowled over in tears.
Stewart was already expected to be in the Oscar best actress conversation for the showcase, but expectations have shot up with the first footage as “Spencer” enters the all-important prestigious festival circuit.
The drama will have its world premiere at Venice International Film Festival next month before it heads to the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 15.
The teaser trailer for the film is markedly less tense than the footage revealed at CinemaCon. The trailer opens with images of Christmas dinner being prepared and shows flashes of different scenes from the movie.
“Ma’am, they’re waiting for you,” a person off camera says to the princess after knocking on her door.
We later see an exchange between Princess Diana and a friend in the garden.
“They know everything,” the friend says. “They don’t,” replies the princess.
The riveting footage from CinemaCon, which has not been released publicly, showed Stewart (who was not present at the convention) channeling the late Princess of Wales. The tense confrontation with Prince Charles (played by Jack Farthing) takes place in a plush Sandringham royal estate drawing room, with a billiards table between the two.
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Charles can barely contain his anger toward Diana because people are talking about how she is “delayed,” suggesting she is having an affair.
“Sometimes you get delayed by someone, and no one says anything,” Diana replies, referring to Charles’ longtime mistress (now wife) Camilla Parker Bowles, Duchess of Cornwall.
Charles castigates his young wife for leaving the curtains open to allow photographers, a problem for the royal family, to capture her.
“It seems they are circling just me, not you,” Diana replies.
“The thing is Diana, there has to be two of you,” Charles tells her. “The real one and the one they take pictures of.”
“We are given tasks, you have to be able to make your body do things you hate,” says Charles. “For the good of the people because they don’t want us to be people.”
“That you hate?” Diana replies, with Stewart nailing the tone and accent.
Shortly after the teaser dropped, Princess Diana became a trending topic on Twitter with folks in awe over Stewart as the late royal.
“Kristen Stewart is a living legend portraying Princess Diana,” tweeted @everydayrobsten.
@alisalem147 wrote: “Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana…I really have a good feeling about this and I think Kristen will get an Oscar nomination.”
Film critic Scott Menzel was one of the many CinemaCon attendees wowed by Stewart’s performance.
“Based on the footage, it looks like Kristen Stewart will be getting an Oscar nomination for her performance as Diana,” Menzel tweeted. “I’m feeling very confident that this is going to be #KristenStewart’s big moment.”
Entertainment Weekly critic Lauren Huff wrote on Twitter: “Let me just say: WOW. Cannot wait to see the rest. Kristen Stewart nails it” before adding, “I sense an Oscar nod in her future.”
Insider entertainment correspondent Jason Guerrasio wrote on Twitter, “Kristen Stewart is going all out for that Oscar glory. And her Princess Di accent is spot on!”
“Spencer” stars Sally Hawkins as Diana’s confidante and Timothy Spall as a security member sent by Queen Elizabeth II to keep the paparazzi at bay and Diana on a short leash.
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