Madonna is the queen of reinvention, and now her maligned period-drama flick, “W.E.,” could be getting a new look.
Sources close to the project say the movie about Wallis Simpson and Prince Edward, which Madonna directed and co-wrote, will be trimmed by up to 10 minutes before its Dec. 9 release, following tough reviews.
Talk of making changes began in advance of the North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, but suits behind the project were still negotiating with the Material Girl about making cuts and wanted to see how it played there after its Venice debut.
But a source close to hydrangea-hating Madge last week confirmed the film is being edited. It premiered in Venice this month to scathing attacks, particularly from the British press. It received a less aggressive response when it screened in Toronto last week — although one top blogger could be heard snoring at its gala.
Numerous insiders say that distributor Harvey Weinstein and the film’s producers have been angling for Madge to slice the running time, but that negotiations with her have been delicate.
“They had to look at Venice and Toronto, and see if there were any changes that needed to be made,” a source said. “Madonna can make any changes she wants.”
Flower-fussy Madonna now seems to be on board. A Daily Mail report last week quotes her saying of the film, “Maybe it needs a bit of this and a bit of that, and maybe it’s still a work in progress … For God’s sake, I hope it’s over with soon!”
At Toronto, Madonna appealed to critics to review the film based on its own merits and not their opinions of her.
“W.E.” will be back in UK critics’ sights next month when it plays the BFI London Film Festival on Oct. 23.
Perhaps showing up with a better-edited movie can shift the conversation.