NEON has unveiled the first trailer for Spencer, the upcoming Princess Di biopic that hails from internationally acclaimed director Pablo Larraín (Jackie) and stars Kristen Stewart as the late Princess of Wales. Set in 1991 at the Queen’s Sandringham estate, Spencer unravels over the festivities of the Christmas holidays and tells the story of what may have transpired in the life of Princess Diana’s as she struggles with a marriage gone cold, rumors of affairs, unwanted notoriety, and an impending divorce from her husband Prince Charles.
The trailer released today gives us a first look into what we may expect from this film. In the beginning, there’s certainly an air of peace and celebratory merriment, as everyone prepares to host the Christmas festivities. However, someone is certainly not in the spirit to celebrate, and for good reason. Stewart's Diana is clearly a woman burdened by a weight few of us will ever know. Throughout the rest of the trailer, most shots are of Diana alone, conveying a sense of isolation she must have felt at that point in her life when everything around her was falling apart as everyone still tried their hardest to keep up appearances. There is also a play on the duality of the past versus the present, which could be illustrated via flashbacks over the course of the film.
With this trailer, audiences also get a small taste of Stewart's take on the role of Princess Diana as well as her British accent, something she had previously admitted she found an intimidating challenge. Along with Stewart, other cast members include Jack Farthing as Prince Charles, Sean Harris, Sally Hawkins, Timothy Spall, and Amy Manson. Steven Knight (Locke) serves as the screenwriter for the upcoming biopic.
Spencer will have its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 3. Co-distributors Neon and Topic Studios have set the domestic release date for November 5. Watch the trailer below: