Watts in, Chastain out.
Back in November it was announced that Jessica Chastain (‘The Help,’ ‘The Tree of Life’) was set to play Princess Diana in ‘Caught in Flight’ for German director Oliver Hirschbiegel (‘Downfall,’ ‘The Invasion’).
Now according to THR, the actress has been replaced by Naomi Watts (‘J. Edgar,’ ‘Funny Games’), who has signed up to play the British icon in a movie that will be a “compelling portrait of the Princess of Wales during the last two years of her life, the script charts her search for personal happiness as she turns into a major international campaigner and humanitarian.”
Watts described her casting as “an honor to be able to play this iconic role. Princess Diana was loved across the world, and I look forward to rising to the challenge of playing her onscreen.”
Hirschbiegel added that Watts has enough in her acting armory to embody “the warmth, humanity and empathy of such a global icon as Princess Diana.”