“Diana,” the Princess of Wales biopic starring Naomi Watts as the eponymous* royal, will hit theaters in limited release on November 1, 2013. Entertainment One, who picked up the film for distribution at the Cannes Film Festival, announced the plans on Monday, which positions “Diana” as an early awards hopeful.

    The story focuses on the last two years of the late princess’s life, including her little-known but significant romance with Dr. Hasnat Khan (played by Naveen Andrews starring in “Lost”), a heart surgeon. Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel (“The Invasion”), the film will be a portrait of a woman in transition* after her extremely public marriage and divorce from Prince Charles. “She finds that love that she’s always been longing for and she’s always been deprived* of,” Hirschbiegel said.

    The early November positioning puts the film at a comfortable distance from Olivier Dahan’s “Grace of Monaco,” another potential princess-focused awards contender* starring Watts’ fellow Aussie Nicole Kidman, which The Weinstein Company has set for a limited release on November 27.

    Watts currently has two Oscar nominations under her belt for her lead performances in 2003’s “21 Grams” and 2012’s “The Impossible,” and perhaps “Diana” will provide another opportunity for awards season recognition. (SD-Agencies)