Diana was approached to star in huge Hollywood sequel but tragedy struck

09 January 2023 , 20:00

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Diana was in the process of planning a move to the US when she died (Image: UK Press via Getty Images)

Much like her youngest son, Princess Diana had a close affinity with the US and was even in the final stages of planning her move out there when she tragically died in 1997.

The late royal's confidante, Stewart Pearce, worked as Diana's private voice and presence coach and claimed the Princess wanted to carve out a new role for herself by stepping into the movie industry and making documentaries and films.

He also revealed how Diana was approached by a major Hollywood actor to star in the sequel to the hit movie 'The Bodyguard' with the Princess taking on a similar role to the one made famous by Whitney Houston.

Diana was planning a number of changes for her future (AFP/Getty Images)

Pearce detailed how Diana was looking forward to her move to the US and had even been approached by acting legend Kevin Costner to star in a sequel to 'The Bodyguard'.

He explained: "I do remember her talking about the whimsey of the wonderful idea of Kevin [Costner] stepping forward saying we would love to make a movie about you.

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"She would have stayed behind the lens. I was very fortunate to attend a number of private parties where we went to theatres.

Costner detailed what Diana asked him during a phone call (2022 Karwai Tang)

Costner revealed he spoke to Diana about the sequel (AFP/Getty Images)

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"She knew she was much better as a person behind the camera rather than in front of the camera."

Asked if her work would have been award-worthy, Pearce added: "I am sure it would have been very easy for her to gain accomplishments."

Kevin Costner previously spoke to PeopleTV about Diana's eagerness to be involved in a sequel to the original hit and even revealed the one fear she harboured about taking to the screen.

The actor - who played the role of bodyguard Frank Farmer in the original movie - explained: "The studio liked the idea of doing a Bodyguard 2."

Costner revealed Diana would have played a similar role to the one Whitney Houston played (2012 Fotos International)

He added that Diana would have taken on a role "in the same kind of capacity as Whitney", adding: "Nobody really knew that for about a year."

He went on to reveal the one fear Diana had about starring in a film with him as he mentioned they had discussed the possibility of shooting intimate scenes together, with the princess "nervous2 about kissing the Hollywood star.

He explained: "I just remember her being incredibly sweet on the phone, and she asked the question, 'Are we going to have, like a kissing scene?'

"She said it in a very respectful [way]. She was a little nervous because her life was very governed. And I said, 'Yeah, there's going to be a little bit of that, but we can make that okay too'."

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Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston starred in the original 1992 film

As well as this, Oscar-winning British film producer Lord David Puttnam revealed that he was in conversation with Diana's boyfriend Dodi Al-Fayed about working in film and TV.

Lord Puttnam said: "I do not know how serious Dodi was about fulfilling his practice as a producer. These were just possibilities being discussed.

"I don’t know who she was speaking to. But she asked me: 'Do you think this is a good idea, and spoke about documentaries and about major movie features'."

In his memoir, Protecting Diana: A Bodyguard's Story, Lee Sansum remembered how the Princess was about to tell the paparazzi of her plans to move to the US.

Sansum wrote: "Then she told me: 'I want to go to the US and live there so I can get away from it all. At least in America, they like me and will leave me alone.'"

The bodyguard said he asked Diana if her sons would be joining her, to which she explained she would never be allowed to take them from their lives in the Royal Family with Diana telling Sansum: "I will probably only be able to see them in the school holidays."

Rebecca Russell