There’s About to Be Another Princess Diana Documentary
HBO announced a new Princess Diana documentary, timed for the 25th anniversary of her death.
HBO announced that their upcoming Princess Diana documentary will be released in August, honoring the 25th anniversary of her untimely death. The documentary, which strictly uses archival footage, was met with rave reviews after it premiered at Sundance Film Festival back in January.
“The Princess” follows the later years of Diana’s life, as she navigated life in the spotlight as “the people’s princess” amid her unraveling marriage and ultimate divorce from Prince Charles. By using only archival and television news footage and its corresponding audio, the documentary offers viewers new insights into this endlessly covered story.
Directed by Academy Award-winning director Ed Perkins, the plot of “The Princess” tracks as if it were taking place in present day, to show viewers just how intensely bright the public spotlight was on Diana. The film showcases both the obsessive adoration and the crippling scrutiny that Diana faced in her final years.
The film acts as a critique on a society that was so hungry for gossip and tabloid fodder that it eventually killed the object of its attention. As noted in the film’s description, Princess Diana’s death, caused in-part by a high speed paparazzi chase, was an inflection point for the media, forcing them to look at the content machine they had created.
But now, 25 years later, as popular shows like “The Crown” continue to dig at Diana’s life and legacy, Perkins asks the necessary question: “Has anything really changed?”
“The Princess” will premiere on HBO on Aug. 13 at 8 p.m. E.T, and will be available to stream on HBO Max the same day.