IN a project that comes loaded with Oscar-winning pedigree, Rachel Weisz is set to play Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor in a new biopic from the producers of “The King’s Speech” and the writer of “Slumdog Millionaire.”

“A Special Relationship,” which lands as the awards buzz around Renee Zellweger’s portrayal of Judy Garland in “Judy” continues to grow, is set to explore Taylor’s journey from actress to activist through the lens of her friendship with her assistant Roger Wall and is being produced by See-Saw Films from a script by Simon Beaufoy. The project will be directed by fast-rising female filmmaking duo Bert & Bertie.

Shifting the focus away from the glamorous and scandalous life most associated with Taylor, “A Special Relationship” will examine the late star’s role in the fight against AIDS and how much it personally meant to her.

In the mid-1980s, Taylor hired a new personal assistant, Wall, a gay man who grew up in poverty in the homophobic Deep South. Despite their different backgrounds, they developed a deep friendship that would alter the course of both of their lives.

(SD-Agencies)