First Look: Nicole Kidman As Grace Kelly In 'Grace Of Monaco'

It's a fool's errand to try and predict the 2014 Oscars a year in advance, but based on what we know about it so far Grace of Monaco could very well end up a serious contender. It's directed by La vie en rose helmer Olivier Dahan (check), stars Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman and nominee Tim Roth (double check), and centers around a widely beloved entertainment industry figure (triple check). If that doesn't sound tailor-made for the Academy, I don't know what does.

The Weinsteins apparently think so as well, as they've already scooped up the distribution rights for around $5 million. Arriving hand-in-hand with that acquisition are the first official images of Kidman as the late actress turned princess. Check them out after the jump.

[via The Playlist]

Grace of Monaco centers generally around Kelly's transition from movie star to princess, and specifically her role in settling the dispute between Prince Rainier III (Roth) and French president Charles De Gaulle over tax laws in the 1960s. Frank Langella, Parker Posey, Milo Ventimiglia, and Paz Vega also star.

Though the film takes inspiration from real life, it sounds like Dahan's taking some artistic liberties with the actual events. After Kelly's children blasted the film for "pointlessly glamorizing" her life, the filmmaker acknowledged that he'd made up some of the scenes but responded that it was "a human portrait of a modern woman" rather than a biopic.

The Weinsteins have not yet set an exact release date, but are reportedly looking at a December premiere. And it's likely to be a splashy one: According to Deadline's sources, the distributor has committed to an 800-screen release, with a minimum of $10 million in prints and advertising costs.