She's had a breakout year for the ages, and now Jessica Chastain is set to take on her biggest role yet.
Chastain, who has seemingly come out of nowhere to give critically acclaimed performances in films such as "The Tree of Life" and "Take Shelter," will star as Princess Diana in 'Caught In Flight," Indiewire reports. The film will feature the story of the relationship between Diana and Dr. Hasnat Khan, a Pakistani-born surgeon with whom she had a relationship in the mid-90s, concluding in 1997.
The film, which Indiewire reports will be, a “love story between a princess locked in a tower and an ordinary man,” depicts the relationship that sprouted up after a meeting at a hospital in 1995 and ended in 1997. Khan maintained public silence about the relationship until 2008, when he gave an interview to the Telegraph newspaper.
In that article, it is pointed out that Khan spoke to the Lord Stevens' Inquiry into Diana's death, and told investigators that the two had been considering marriage, with Diana going so far as considering a move out of Britain.
Rosa Monckton, one of Diana's close friends, said in a hearing, "She was very much in love with him. She hoped that they would be able to have a future together. She wanted to marry him."
The film will be directed by German filmmaker Oliver Hirschbiegel. It marks a bit of a potential risk, in that a beloved British figure will be played by an American; while Americans are routinely portrayed by Brits, it is more rare for the opposite to occur. This winter, Meryl Streep will play Margaret Thatcher, the nation's former Prime Minister, in "The Iron Lady."
For more, click over to Indiewire.