Grace Kelly biopic moves to Lifetime

One of Philly's classiest, most glamorous former citizens is getting the Lifetime treatment.

And it's through no fault of her own.

Grace Kelly is the subject of Grace of Monaco, a film starring Nicole Kidman as Princess Grace, directed by Olivier Dahan, who helmed the lovely Edith Piaf biopic La Vie en Rose. Grace of Monaco originally opened last year's Cannes Film Festival.

Those are some mighty fine credentials, no?

Yet Grace of Monaco won't hit theaters. Instead, it will premiere on Lifetime at 8 p.m. May 25.

The film is set in 1962, six years after Kelly married Prince Rainier III (Tim Roth). Kelly yearns to return to Hollywood, even as her adopted country is in the midst of political upheaval. She must choose whether to return to stardom or remain with her prince in Monaco. (Spoiler: She chooses the latter.)

Kelly, the Philadelphia-born star of Rear Window, Dial M for Murder, and High Society, married Rainier in 1956, had three children with him, and died in a car accident in 1982.

So why is Grace of Monaco premiering on the network that previously debuted Mommy May I Sleep With Danger?

The production was fraught even before an audience saw the film, originally set to premiere during the 2013 holiday season before it was pushed to Cannes, where it was met with boos. Upon the film's premiere, Kelly's children released a joint statement calling it a farce and saying it "reflects no reality."

During the editing, director Dahan publicly slammed producer Harvey Weinstein (often derisively called Harvey Scissorhands) for editing the film so it had more commercial appeal. Weinstein relented and agreed to show Dahan's version in the United States.

But after a poor international showing at the box office, the Weinstein Co. decided Lifetime was the best place for our princess.

215-854-5909