Kristen Stewart Princess Diana Movie 'Spencer' Will Open In November

Earlier today, we got our first look at Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana in The Crown season 5. But if you thought that was on the only Princess Diana news for today, think again! We've just learned that Spencer, the Pablo Larraín-directed film starring Kristen Stewart as the late Princess of Wales, now has an official release date set for November of this year.

Neon has confirmed the Spencer release date is set for theaters on November 5, 2021. This will come after the film first plays at the Venice International Film Festival before playing again at Toronto International Film Festival in September. The film "focuses on one weekend in the life of Princess Diana, as she spends the Christmas holiday with the royal family at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, and decides to leave her marriage to Prince Charles." Here's a longer synopsis:

December, 1991:The Prince and Princess of Wales' marriage has long since grown cold. Though rumoursof affairs and a divorce abound, peace is ordained for the Christmas festivities at Sandringham Estate. There's eating and drinking, shooting and hunting. Diana knows the game. This year, things will be a whole lot different.

Of course, anyone who knows their history knows how this eventually turns out: Diana and Charles eventually divorced in 1996, and Diana was killed in a car accident in 1997. But since Spencer is set over one weekend in 1991, it's not going to delve into those things specifically. This set-up is similar to Pablo Larraín's Jackie, which followed Jackie Kennedy (as played by Natalie Portman) in the days immediately following the assassination of JFK.

In addition to Kristen Stewart, Spencer also stars Timothy Spall, Sally Hawkins, and Sean Harris. Pablo Larraín directs a script from Steven Knight.

As I mentioned above, the Spencer release date isn't the only Princess Diana-related news of the day – we also got a first look at Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana in The Crown season 5. Debicki is taking over the role from Emma Corrin, who played Diana in season 4. But this may have some wondering why there's a sudden influx of Diana-based media.

While I don't have an official answer, it's worth noting that 2022 will mark the 25th anniversary of Diana's death, so I'm sure that's playing some sort of part here. An anniversary of that magnitude is bound to have people talking about Diana all over again – not that we've ever really stopped talking about her, though. But if I had to guess, I think the logic is that people will see the news about the anniversary next year and think, "Hmm, is there something I can watch about Princess Diana now?" And the answer will be, "Yes – lots of things. Here they are!'

As for Spencer, star Kristen Stewart said of the film, "Spencer is a dive inside an emotional imagining of who Diana was at a pivotal turning point in her life. It is a physical assertion of the sum of her parts, which starts with her given name; Spencer. It is a harrowing effort for her to return to herself, as Diana strives to hold onto what the name Spencer means to her."