PRESS UPDATE : THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER .. FEBRUARY 26TH 2025 ..

 

Isabella Rossellini Joins Joan Collins in Mike Newell’s Wallis Simpson Biopic....

'The Bitter End' follows the American divorcee who became the Duchess of Windsor when King Edward VIII opted for love over duty.

Isabella Rossellini has joined Joan Collins in The Bitter End (w/t), a movie about the untold story of Wallis Simpson, John Gore Studios has confirmed.

Directed by Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral) and penned by Louise Fennell, the film charts the last years of Simpson, the American divorcee who became the Duchess of Windsor when King Edward VIII opted for love over duty.

Rossellini, an Oscar nominee for her role in the award-winning Conclave, will star as Suzanne Blum, the French lawyer and confidante of Simpson (played by Collins) who at the hands of Blum found herself ensnared in a menacing grip of obsession and coercive control.

“I am absolutely thrilled to join the incomparable Joan Collins and the brilliant Mike Newell in bringing this extraordinary story back to life,” said Rossellini.

“Louise Fennell’s script allows us to delve into the complex and devastating relationship between these two iconic women, the profound impact they had on one another and their lasting mark on history.”

Rossellini will star as Suzanne Blum, the formidable French lawyer and confidante of Wallis Simpson (played by Collins) who at the hands of Blum found herself ensnared in a menacing grip of obsession and coercive control.

Fennell’s screenplay explores the chilling true story of the deeply complex and sinister relationship between Blum and Simpson and how as a result Wallis’s once-glamorous life spiralled into terror and desperation in the last years of her life.

Gore added: “I am truly thrilled and honoured that Isabella Rossellini will be joining Joan Collins in this remarkable story of the last days of The Duchess of Windsor. Isabella Rossellini possesses an immense and captivating talent, her ability to embody complex characters with depth and authenticity inspires audiences and elevates every story she tells.”

The film will be produced by Gore, Richard Holmes and Francis Hopkinson and executive produced by Hilary Strong, Michael Foster and Percy Gibson. Filming will take place in the U.K. and is set to begin May. Worldwide Sales will be handled by Embankment Films.