Diana receives frosty reception at home but is sold across the world
- Princess biopic released in more than 40 territories while director Oliver Hirschbiegel is not fazed by the reaction of critics in the UK
German director Oliver Hirschbiegel’s Diana [+see also:
trailer
film profile], a biopic of the late and much loved British princess was released on September 20 in the UK by eOne to a critical mauling from practically every publication in the country and consequently it collected a modest £623,000 in its opening weekend, debuting at number 5 on the box office charts. Adapted by Stephen Jeffreys (The Libertine [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) from the book Diana: Her Last Love by Kate Snell, the film recounts the last two years of Princess Diana’s (Naomi Watts - photo) life and her affair with Pakistani doctor Hasnat Khan (Naveen Andrews).
Amongst the broadsheets, Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian described the film as ‘car crash cinema’ and tabloid The Daily Mirror called it ‘cheap and cheerless’. Unfazed by the criticism, Hirschbiegel addressed a press conference at the Zurich film Festival where he said, “I liked the idea of pissing certain people off by doing a very straightforward, truthful, deep, emotional love story about Diana and Hasnat Khan.”
Buyers across the world are also alive to the possibility that general audiences will flock to the cinemas to watch a biopic of the beloved princess. Sales agents Embankment Films have sold to more than 40 territories worldwide. European distributors include Cinéart (Netherlands), Le Pacte (France), Cinéart (Belgium), Pro Video Film and Video Distribution Kft (Hungary), eOne Films (Spain) and Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (Switzerland).
Diana is a coproduction between the UK’s Ecosse Films, Sweden’s Film i Väst and Filmgate Films, Mozambique’s Mahla Filmes, France’s Le Pacte and Belgium’s Scope Pictures.
Did you enjoy reading this article? Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive more stories like this directly in your inbox.
