The fate of Grace of Monaco, Olivier Dahan’s Grace Kelly biopic that will open the Cannes International Film Festival in a week, may wind up being distributed by The Weinstein Company after all. However, nothing has been confirmed and the trans-Atlantic fight over the film could remain a cloud hovering over the festival.
TWC originally had big plans for Grace, believing it could be another Oscar-nominated project. But after a teaser was released last fall, it was suddenly taken off the distributor’s 2014 calendar. A full trailer was released in March, but the film’s U.S. release remained in question. Even after it was picked as the opener to Cannes, TWC still didn’t schedule it.
Dahan has said that the film is done, but the La vie en rose director has reportedly clashed with TWC’s Harvey Weinstein, who has wanted to make changes. According to the Los Angeles Times, the version that will be seen in Cannes is “the French version,” which focuses more on the politics of Monaco and Kelly’s struggle to adjust at being royalty.
Uday Chopra's Yash Raj Films (YRF) financed the film and made the new cut with Dahan, incorporating some of Weinstein’s suggestions. That’s the version that Cannes will see. Weinstein and his editors made their own version that was more of a modern day fairy tale, which Dahan didn’t like.
The LA Times’ sources did say that TWC is looking to talk with YRF about a new fee based on TWC’s changes to the film. Now, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed on Tuesday that TWC is in talks to retain the U.S. distribution rights to the film.
There’s still no official word on when the film will be out in the U.S., but it’s looking like filmgoers will finally get to see Nicole Kidman as Kelly. Tim Roth also stars as Prince Ranier III. The Cannes Film Festival starts on May 14.