"W.E" (2012) - Film produced by Madonna on the Abdication of Edward VIII

[Lumutqueen]

Madonna signs Abbie Cornish up to her new film on Edward VIII's abdication | Mail Online

 

[Sonjapearl]

What?!

So she spent some time in the UK and was married to a Brit, Madonna thinks she can do a movie about British history? I have a feeling Britons wouldn't like her doing that.

 

[Duchessmary]

Ok I've seen it all. I zink I'm going to be ill.

 

[EmpressRouge]

Can she even direct? I mean, we know she can't act.

 

[Jeniann]

I don't know. I'm not expecting a historical epic, but this could turn into an entertaining movie with camp value. Madonna just needs to avoid taking herself too seriously. I'm hoping for a musical. Madonna has directed before, I think, but she didn't get very good reviews.

 

[RJ TAYLER]

Oh No, just Oh No. If it had been George Harrison, I'd be more kind, but the former Mr Ritchie, no fawlking way (as they say on her side of the pond).

 

[Russophile]

Can she even direct? I mean, we know she can't act.

Actually, she CAN act, it just takes a good director to bring it out of her, not unlike Sharon Stone and Scorsese in Casino. Directing, though, that's a different kettle of fish. Why is she in charge of this project? Why isn't she a producer? Directing? Yikes!

 

[Lumutqueen]

To be honest I think she's trying to get one up on Guy. He's directed some wonderful films recently.

 

[Warren]

Dare I point out there is NOTHING in the link to suggest Madonna is directing this film.

quotes:

Madonna has persuaded hot actress Abbie Cornish to be in her film, based on the Edward VIII Abdication crisis.
The movie, W.E., tells parallel tales about Wallis Simpson in the 1930s and a contemporary woman called Wally Winthrop, who has romantic problems of her own - in addition to the fact that she's obsessed with the Duchess of Windsor's life.

The W.E. script has shown considerable improvement compared to an earlier version by Madonna and Alex Keshishian that I saw last year - there have been many drafts.
Madonna travels to Los Angeles early next month to meet with potential leading men. Then she'll head to London to inspect actors to play Edward.

 

[Boris]

Sorry Warren, but Madonna is expected to direct "W.E.", based on her own script co-written with longtime collaborator Alex Keshishian.
It would be her first full-length movie as a director, after her debut "Filth and Wisdom", which was shown at last year's Berlin International Film Festival and received a mixed, but my no means overall negative critical reaction.
The source for Madonna directing the movie is "Variety", which is always reliable.
Link:
Madonna directing 'W.E.' - Entertainment News, Film Festivals, Media - Variety

 

[Russophile]

Really? Well we shall have to keep eyes peeled on this. I respect the woman for what she's accomplished though I don't like her.

 

[Westminster]

My goodness. It is very nice to hear that there will be a movie about "WE" but why on earth has it to be Madonna??!

 

[EmpressRouge]

I wonder which approach Madonna will take to the abdication story. Some (I guess Americans generally) think of it as a beautiful romance, a king giving up his throne for love. Others (like in the British TV film "Bertie and Elizabeth") portray Wallis as a manipulative social climber with pro-Nazi views. Madonna is American and the love story approach will probably sell more tickets at the box office, but since she lived in Britain and tried to give herself a British makeover w/ an accent and all, it she might paint Wallis in a less positive light.

 

[Russophile]

Interesting ER. I find, being an American, that many people really don't know or understand the BRF. I hear constantly "HM must be very disappointed in Charles." I ask them "Why? He's done everything he has set out to do, he has the women he loves by his side as his helpmate, I think he'll be just fine as King." "Oh but Diana. . ." They sputter. And that is the crux of it: The media perception. Like you mentioned, the perception of a love story, the King abdicating for "the woman he loves". Many never studying that Wallis, though a social climber, never really expected to be Queen, just set aside when the time came. And when Edward abdicated what could she do? Leave him? Certainly not. So I wonder if Madonna will get all those nuances in the film.
Here is rather tongue in cheek gossip about this.
News and Notes

 

[Lumutqueen]

Can Madonna's Wallis Simpson film redeem her cinematic record? | Stuart Heritage | Film | guardian.co.uk

Vera Farmiga Looks Forward to "Epic" Wallis Simpson Romance | NBC Los Angeles

The actress to plat Wallis looks interesting.
I wish they would spelll Wallis correctly.

Wallace Simpson

Plus Dick Van Dyke as King Edward, doubt it.

 

[Lumutqueen]

Queen of pop Madonna seeks help from the real Queen - Telegraph

 

[mrsbugman]

Being American all I have ever heard was that Wallis wanted to be Queen. But I believe I have also heard that one of the options presented before the abdication was that she would not have the title of Queen, but some lessor form. However no one believed Edward would not have made her Queen when he had the chance.

 

[Warren]

Madonna is accused of rewriting history in Abdication movie | Mail Online

Madonna has been accused of distorting history in a film about Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson by portraying the King as an unlikely sex symbol and the late Queen Mother as a villainous plotter.

Insiders say the pop star’s depiction of the couple at the centre of the 1936 Abdication crisis in W.E., her second film as a director, is overly symp*athetic and largely unrecognisable.

The £18million film, currently being shot in Britain and France and due for release next year, intersperses Edward’s affair with the American divorcee with a love story set in 1998.

​

 

[nascarlucy]

Wallace Sampson was a social climber. When she met Edward VIII and he fell in love with her, she saw her opportunity. She wanted to be Queen of England. She didn't care what other people thought of her. Being Queen of England was her ultimate goal.

Had she become Queen of England, it would have a disaster. The Queen Mother could see this and was looking at the interests of the country and the interest of the British monarchy which given that Wallace Sampson had pro-Nazi or was sympathic to them openly could have shook the institution to its very foundations or could have caused the monarchy to no longer exist or be overthrown. This was a serious threat to the British monarchy.

The Queen mother was not being a villian by opposing their relationship. Britain today would have been a very different country, perhaps with no monarchy if Wallace Sampson had become Queen of England. This is just my opinon.

 

[Zonk]

This movie just has diaster written all over it.

Its one thing to make a movie that is based on real events. If this Abbie Cornish character is going thru life changing events during the days of the Abdication thats one thing. But to change events that have been proven, just seems ill advised IMO.

Now I will agree that we dont know everything about the Abdication as some private and governement papers won't be released for years, but enough Establishment figures have said their piece. There were no innocents in this sad saga.

 

[Lumutqueen]

I have to admit though the actress playing Wallis does look quite like her.
I will not be seeing this film when it hits the cinema, but waiting until it gets to the "Bargain Bin"

 

[Zonk]

It might not even make it to the cinema.

How many movies are made that for a variety of reasons don't get a distribution deal.

Depending on how far fetched the story is as well how good the acting and directing is This might go straight to video.

 

[Russophile]

Warren, what was Madonna's first movie?

 

[Zonk]

Well, I am no Warren

According to imdb.com the first film she directed was Filth and Doom (2008). I have never heard of it. I believe the first film she acted in was Desparately Seeking Susan, which was a good 80's film.

 

[Russophile]

Ah! Thanks Zonk. Filth and Doom. Sounds like a blockbuster to me. . . . .NOT.
Actually, I never saw Desparately Seeking Susan. I did watch her in that awful movie Shanghai Surprise. Madonna CAN act when she has a good director, as evinced in A League of their own. However! I do not know how she is behind the camera and that matters, especially with this material.

 

[Zonk]

Well she was not the lead character in Desparately Seeking Susan, Rosana Arquette was. She is a hit and miss actress to me. Like you said when she has a good director she is okay, but sometimes she has a good director in a bad movie and she isn't good. She should definitely stick to music, that is her strength IMO.

Either way, I have never paid money for a Madonna movie and I don't imagine that I will when this comes out.

 

[nascarlucy]

If the movie is not historically accurate, then it should be a movie about a fictious royal, not one that existed.

 

[EmpressRouge]

Despite my low expectations for the film from the beginning, I really would have liked to see Vera Ferminga as Wallis. She definitely looks like Wallis (slender and very handsome woman as opposed to classically beautiful), even w/o historical costume and makeup. Also, Vera is of the right age to play Wallis, who was in her late 30s, early 40s during the affair and abdication crisis.

 

[Lumutqueen]

I'm confused by the plot of the film, I don't think it's entirely about Edward and Wallis, but about some other woman played by Abbie Cornish who falls for some Russian guy.

Also it says something about being Mohammed Al Fayed being portrayed as "Friendly", i'm sure he is.

I also love this bit...

Madonna was forced to shoot the Windsor Castle scenes in Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire after Buckingham Palace declined to help.

Haha.

 

[nascarlucy]

Doesn't that speak volumes. Buckingham Palace declined to help. I can only wonder why. Since the Queen was about 12 years old at the time of Edward's abdication, she would know what was accurate and what was not accurate historically since this decision changed her life forever. Given that 1938 is 72 years ago, there are very few people around who still remember this or who have memories of it.

This movie seems to be bits and pieces of Edward VII life mixed in with others who had nothing to do with this event (a Russian guy and Mohammed Al Fayed). It should be renamed because it's not historically accurate.