Madonna's Directorial Debut, “W.E.”, Being Released By Weinstein

It's been a long and tortured road for the first feature film director by erstwhile pop star Madonna Ciccone, but now there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Madonna's film, which tells the story of the romance between Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII, has been picked up for distribution by Weinstein, which mercifully released an official synopsis:

W.E. tells the story of two fragile but determined women – Wally Winthrop and Wallis Simpson – separated by more than six decades.  In 1998, lonely New Yorker Wally Winthrop (Abbie Cornish) is obsessed with what she perceives as the ultimate love story: King Edward’s VIII’s abdication of the British throne for the woman he loved, American divorcée Wallis Simpson.  But Wally’s research, including several visits to the Sotheby’s auction of the Windsor Estate, reveals that the couple’s life together was not as perfect as she thought. Weaving back and forth in time, W.E. intertwines Wally’s journey of discovery in New York with the story of Wallis (Andrea Riseborough) and Edward (James D’Arcy), from the glamorous early days of their romance to the slow unraveling of their lives in the decades that followed.

The press release also included a pair of mutual admiration society quotes from Madonna and Harvey Weinstein:

“W.E. is about the nature of true love, and the sacrifices and compromises that are often made.  I’ve wanted to tell this story for a very long time, and bringing it to life has been a great adventure for me. I’m looking forward to working with Harvey and The Weinstein Company on this film,” commented Madonna.

“Madonna has really come into her own as a filmmaker with W.E.,” said Weinstein. “She’s taken one of the most famous romances of the 20th Century and brought it to life in a smart, sexy and thoroughly modern way.  It’s a terrific addition to our US release slate.”

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