14 DAY TRIAL // Nicole Kidman’s long delayed movie “Grace of Monaco” will finally reach US audiences this year, but it won’t be in theaters. Lifetime has secured rights for the film, directed by Olivier Dahan, and plans to air it on May 25, Deadline reports.
The release on TV marks the one-year anniversary from the film’s premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was met with rather negative reviews. Since its inception, the movie has been surrounded by controversy and trouble, to the point where behind-the-scenes disputes almost got it shelved altogether.
The Monaco Royal family expressed disapproval of the film early on, and the agents involved in making it couldn’t come to an agreement as to the artistic direction the final product should take.
As of this moment, there are several cuts of “Grace” around, including Dahan’s and one approved by Harvey Weinstein of The Weinstein Company, which financed it. The latter may or may not be the same cut that was suggested by screenwriter Arash Amel.
It is uncertain which cut Lifetime will run. However, the general belief is that what ultimately “killed” “Grace” was the age-old conflict between money / Hollywood (Weinstein) and art (Dahan).
While “Grace” seems the closest thing to a film disaster, there’s a bright side to its release on Lifetime, the trade publication notes: by airing on May 25, it will qualify for the upcoming edition of the Emmy Awards, which could land it a few nominations and hopefully even wins.