Harvey Weinstein just can't enough of those '30s-era British royals: The man who steered The King's Speech to box-office and awards-season glory just announced his acquisition of W.E., Madonna's sophomore feature as a director and yet the latest drama to draw in part from the life of King Edward VIII. Read on for details.
No release date was included with the announcement, which incorrectly cited W.E. as Madonna's feature debut (her 2008 film Filth and Wisdom owns that distinction). But from Harvey's description of the film as "a terrific addition to our US release slate" to production boss Donna Gigliotti's assertion that "[t]he advance footage for W.E. was some of the most impressive I've ever seen," hopes sound high. And with a classy cast led by Abbie Cornish -- no doubt still smarting from her awards snub two years ago for Bright Star -- you wouldn't be so out of line dropping this in your early Oscar pool for 2012. We shall see!
Below find the official announcement from TWC, just arrived over the Movieline transom.
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New York, NY, June 13, 2011 - The Weinstein Company (TWC) announced today that it has acquired U.S. distribution rights to "W.E.," Madonna's directorial debut of a feature film. [sic] W.E. is a romantic drama co-written by Madonna and Alek Keshishian, produced by Madonna and Kris Thykier and executive produced by Scott Franklin (BLACK SWAN). It stars Abbie Cornish (LIMITLESS), Oscar Isaac (DRIVE), James D'Arcy (MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD), Andrea Riseborough (NEVER LET ME GO), Natalie Dormer ("The Tudors"), Richard Coyle (PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME), James Fox (SHERLOCK HOLMES) and Laurence Fox ("Inspector Lewis"). The announcement was made by TWC Co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein and President of Production Donna Gigliotti.
Spanning six decades, W.E. juxtaposes a contemporary love story with that of King Edward VIII and American divorcée Wallis Simpson.
"W.E. is about the nature of true love, and the sacrifices and compromises that are often made. I've wanted to tell this story for a very long time, and bringing it to life has been a great adventure for me. I'm looking forward to working with Harvey and The Weinstein Company on this film," commented Madonna.
"Madonna has really come into her own as a filmmaker with W.E.," said Weinstein. "She's taken one of the most famous romances of the 20th Century and brought it to life in a smart, sexy and thoroughly modern way. It's a terrific addition to our US release slate."
Commented Gigliotti, "The advance footage for W.E. was some of the most impressive I've ever seen. I can't wait for American audiences to have the opportunity to see this film."
The deal was negotiated for TWC by Weinstein, COO David Glasser and Michal Steinberg, Senior Vice President Business Affairs and Acquisitions; and by CAA, on behalf of the filmmakers.
SYNOPSIS
W.E. tells the story of two fragile but determined women - Wally Winthrop and Wallis Simpson - separated by more than six decades. In 1998, lonely New Yorker Wally Winthrop (Abbie Cornish) is obsessed with what she perceives as the ultimate love story: King Edward's VIII's abdication of the British throne for the woman he loved, American divorcée Wallis Simpson. But Wally's research, including several visits to the Sotheby's auction of the Windsor Estate, reveals that the couple's life together was not as perfect as she thought. Weaving back and forth in time, W.E. intertwines Wally's journey of discovery in New York with the story of Wallis (Andrea Riseborough) and Edward (James D'Arcy), from the glamorous early days of their romance to the slow unraveling of their lives in the decades that followed.
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[Photo: Getty Images]