Grace Kelly biopic Grace of Monaco to open Cannes

The long-awaited biopic will open the 67th Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday following weeks of speculation that the film would be dropped.

Grace Kelly and Nicole Kidman.

It was reported last month that the grand Cannes premiere of the Grace of Monaco was in doubt as its US distributor, The Weinstein Company, was considering canning the film.

The biopic – which stars Nicole Kidman as Princess Grace – has been caught in a well-publicised stalemate between the film’s French director, Olivier Dahan and Weinstein over edits of the film.

There were also reported clashes between the filmmakers and the European monarchy over the project. Prince Albert is said to be not only furious about the film’s portrayal of his mother but also, of his father, Prince Rainier.

Set in 1962, the film explores the life former Hollywood star, Grace Kelly and her personal crisis of having to choose between returning to her life as a celebrated film star or embracing her new role as a royal in the world’s second smallest country.

Grace was one of the world’s most famous Hollywood stars before she turned her back on her career to marry Monaco’s Prince Rainier III in 1956. She died in 1982 from a car accident after suffering a stroke while driving.