Though she was a last-minute choice to replace Jessica Chastain, Naomi Watts looks perfect for the role of Princess Diana in Oliver Hirschbiegel's new film. But as they begin shooting in London, it has emerged that another film about the doomed royal will not now reach our screens.
Unlawful Killing, which attracted intrigued crowds at the 2011 Cannes fringe, was made with the backing of Mohammed Al Fayed and alleges that the princess' death was subject to a cover-up. It has screened in the US and parts of Europe but will not now be distributed in the UK or France because nobody is willing to insure it against possible litigation. The incident has raised concerns about freedom of speech and the chilling effect that related legislation can have even without a case coming to court.
Hirshbiegel's film also explores controversial territory, exploring the relationship between Diana and the surgeon Dr Hasnat Kahn (played by Planet Terror star Naveen Andrews). It also touches on her affair with Al Fayed's son Dodi, but its status as a semi-fictionalised, imaginative work makes it more secure and it makes no allegations in relation to Diana and Dodi's deaths.
