Film Eyeing Premiere At The Venice Film Festival This Fall
During its production, rumor had it that Madonna‘s daughter, Lourdes, had been cast in her mother’s picture in an unknown role. While it was reportedly debunked at the time, the casting turned out to be true with star Abbie Cornish revealing the famous offspring will play a younger version of her own character, Wally Simpson.
“She actually plays a younger version of my character,” Cornish told MTV, adding that because they never got to share actual screen time. “She’s a super-cute, younger version of my character.”
“W.E.,” of course, follows the parallel stories of the affair between King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson which led to the royal’s abdication, and the contemporary story of a woman, Wally Winthrop, with romantic problems of her own, in addition to an obsession with the life of the Duchess of Windsor. Andrea Riseborough and James D’Arcy play the royal couple while Oscar Isaac will portray Cornish’s love interest with Natalie Dormer and father-son combo James and Laurence Fox co-starring.
While a Cannes premiere had been highly touted for the pic, it seems like a fall unveiling at Venice might actually be in the cards. The Daily Mail reports that the Lido is being targeted by Madonna and company with fashion house Gucci “planning on throwing some big shindig to coincide with the gala.” A screening at Toronto would likely swiftly follow with what potentially sounds like a major unveiling.
Rumors of unrest and trouble had plagued the film throughout production with Vera Farmiga and Ewan McGregor attached before leaving the cast. Cornish, though, has come in defense of her helmer noting that she’s “a natural director. It’s in her nature. She’s a Leo and she really represents the Leos very well. She’s a very smart woman, very well read. She really absorbs a lot about whatever she’s involved in. I think she really loves learning. It was interesting to see her evolve throughout the filmmaking process. She’s such a cool woman.”
We’re definitely intrigued by the prospects of “W.E.” and can’t wait to check out what Madonna has conjured up after her debut “Filth And Wisdom.” And, after all, what’s there to not to look forward about Sex Pistols-fueled period drama?