By British actors will be barred from portraying Prince William in an upcoming biopic based on his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, owing to a new set of restrictions introduced after the country formally separates from the European Union in January.
A recent casting notice for the upcoming film — which will see Kristen Stewart play Princess Diana — was shared on Twitter and stated that those holding British-European passports will not be permitted to audition, The Guardian reported.
“NOT British-European,” the note warned, “due to new Brexit rules from 1st January 2021.” The film’s makers were looking for boys aged 9-12 to play an 11-year-old Prince William.
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— Amy Hubbard (@amyhubcast) November 25, 2020
But fielding questions from several concerned British actors in the comment section under her tweet, the film’s casting director Amy Hubbard explained that it is very common for films to reserve key roles for actors who share citizenship with the financiers.
“It’s common on films that the passport for significant characters needs to match that of the financiers,” she wrote.
According to The Guardian, productions are required to fulfil some quotas, one of which can include nationality, in order to qualify for grants, tax breaks and to meet the eligibility criteria for a few film festivals and awards.
The upcoming biopic, titled ‘Spencer’, is directed by Pablo Larraín and will be shot in Germany for three months early next year. It has been written by ‘Peaky Blinders’ creator Steven Knight.
