Keira royale?

Early reviews of the controversial new book Diana and the Paparazzi by Glenn Harvey and Mark Saunders (to be published this September) sparked a bidding frenzy for the film rights at the Cannes Film Festival this year. The early frontrunner for the role of Princess Diana (if it gets made)? Keira Knightley of Pirates of the Caribbean fame.

Producer Quentin Reynolds (Evil Aliens) is bidding for the rights and predicts that the movie adaptation will be ten times the hit that was The Queen. Reynolds said, "Already the word in Hollywood is 'get Knightley'. It's a story that has everything: pathos, tragedy, comedy, adventure...and Princess Diana."

No wonder everyone hates Hollywood folk.

In terms of casting news, you can file this one under "D" for "Duh." From the moment I first saw Knightley in Bend It Like Beckham, I thought she was a ringer for the late Princess.

Can't picture it? Check out the photos below. The first is of Knightley in the god-awful guilty pleasure Domino ("My name is Domino. I am a bownty huntah." ). Below that is a photo of Diana, enhanced by our own bad machine to allow for a true apples to apples comparison.