In the weeks after season 4 of Netflix's "The Crown" premiered, Princess Diana was all anyone could talk about. The recent episodes of the historical drama focused mostly on Diana's relationship with Prince Charles, and actress Emma Corrin found herself in the midst of the flying opinions and high-strung emotions of viewers who weren't all that well-versed on the history of Charles and Diana. Corrin received tons of praise for her portrayal of the late princess, but even she admitted that she's "pleased to move on" as Elizabeth Debicki takes over to play Diana in her later years.
"Though I'm sad I only did one series, I always knew that was all I was signing on for, and I played her from 16 to 28. I took her from girl to woman, and I loved that arc," Corrin told the Independent.
Playing the role of such a figure as Diana isn't one to be taken lightly, and Corrin talked in depth about her dedication to telling the royal's story in an honest, emotional way. Now, though, before Debicki steps into those shoes, Kristen Stewart will have a go.
In June, Stewart was cast as Princess Diana in an upcoming film: "Spencer," directed by Pablo Larraín and written by "Peaky Blinders" creator Steven Knight (who refused to watch "The Crown" to avoid any influence), will take place during a single royal Christmas weekend at Sandringham, during which Diana decides that her marriage to Prince Charles is over. The movie is slated for a fall 2021 release.
NEON revealed a first-look photo of Stewart's transformation on Twitter, and let us be the first to say, wow:
Admittedly, when we first heard about Stewart in the role, we were confused. You mean to tell us the indie film-starring, waif-like, broody, pixie-cut-sporting Stewart was going to fit the mold of graceful, mysterious, benevolent Diana?
Well, we're here to tell you that yes, yes she is.
We must, though, remember that a fantastic costume does not a successful actress make. But we can confidently (for now) put our faith in Stewart, as she's come a long way from basic Bella of the "Twilight" franchise. Plus, we're encouraged by the fact that Larraín is behind this film; for "Jackie" in 2016, he very successfully casted Natalie Portman as Mrs. Kennedy, and he's had only good things to say about Stewart's potential.
"Kristen is one of the great actors around today. To do this well, you need something very important in film, which is mystery. Kristen can be many things, and she can be very mysterious and very fragile and ultimately very strong as well, which is what we need," Larraín told Deadline. "The combination of those elements made me think of her. The way she responded to the script and how she is approaching the character, it's very beautiful to see. I think she's going to do something stunning and intriguing at the same time. She is this force of nature."
We're not the only ones who were wondering if Stewart was going to be able to convince us of her ability to pull off Diana's presence, though -- Twitter has had a lot to say about the first look this afternoon:
Now to patiently await a look at Debicki's Diana...