W.E tells the infamous story of the relationship between King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson and is directed, co-written and co-produced by Madonna.
Synopsis
W.E. is a passionate tale about the search for true love in the modern world, viewed through the prism of one of history's most fabled romances. The year is 1998, and Manhattan is abuzz with anticipation about the upcoming auction of the estate of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. But the auction is far more than a diversion for Wally Winthrop (Abbie Cornish), a transplanted Southerner trapped in an unhappy and abusive marriage. Transfixed by the exquisite artefacts of the Windsors' lives, Wally becomes obsessed with the love story of Wallis Simspon (Andrea Riseborough), the chic, charismatic American who captured the heart of King Edward VIII (James D'Arcy). As she learns more about the sacrifices Wallis made in choosing to be with Edward, Wally finds the courage to follow her own heart and create her own happiness.
Fascinated by Wallis and the story of her relationship with Edward, Madonna spent two years writing her script. She was not interested in making a conventional biopic, instead she wanted to capture the essence of their romance and convey her interpretation of one of the greatest love stories of the 20th Century. Although W.E. is in part, a fictionalised story, she also heavily researched the project, reading every book published on Wallis and Edward.
“Truth is subjective. Everything I have to say about the Duke and Duchess is the conclusion I came to after all my research. I wanted to present a more well-rounded portrayal of Wallis than was commonly known. I created the Wally character because the movie needed a point of view. Wally goes on a journey thinking this is the greatest love story only to realise that it wasn’t such a perfect love and that both of them made huge sacrifices. Strangely enough, Wallis seemed to make more of a sacrifice than Edward did.” Madonna
View Trailer Here
W.E is released 20th January 2012