Diane Kruger is back in Cannes and offering a refreshingly honest take on what it’s been like to transition from acting to producing. When The Hollywood Reporter asked what she makes of the pact fest director Thierry Frémaux signed to work towards better gender parity at Cannes, the “Inglourious Basterds” actress observed that the #MeToo movement has helped create opportunities and awareness, “and it definitely feels like the door is opening.” But then she spoke to how difficult it’s been to open the door.
“I produce myself, or I’ve been trying to produce this new series about Hedy Lamarr,” she explained. “I’ve had this project for four years and it’s been like trying to push a rock up a mountain.”
Best known as an actress, Lamarr was also an extremely accomplished inventor. She invented technology to help Allied warships torpedo Nazi submarines in WWII, and that communication system was later used as the basis for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
“Nobody wanted [the project],” Kruger revealed. “Every studio said, ‘We don’t want to make a female biopic. Who wants to see that?’ and it’s finally gained momentum in the last six months, so I do feel like it’s changing a little bit. Since ‘Hidden Figures’ came out, that’s when things started to change. It’s just there’s more of an appetite and now there is proof that those types of films make money.”
“Hidden Figures” grossed over $235 million worldwide on a budget of $25 million. The Oscar-nominated pic was based on a true story and showed how three African American women working at NASA played a hugely influential role in the space race.
Kruger emphasized that producing has been a major challenge. “It’s really long and it’s expensive to develop projects and it’s a complicated process finding the right writer, finding people that get excited about the storyline, and why it is important,” she said. “I’m sure it’s easier if you’re Reese Witherspoon or Nicole Kidman, but it’s definitely a challenge. I want to create stories not only for myself but also for other women. We have a lot of stuff to say.”
Lamarr was the subject of Alexandra Dean’s 2017 doc “Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story.” To use Dean’s words, “Who wouldn’t want to make a story about Hedy?! She was a wild child. Some said she was a spy. She was a movie star and later a drug addict and a recluse. Her life was crazy enough before we discovered she came up with a technology we use in our digital devices every day.” The fact that Kruger has been met with such disinterest shows just how resistant Hollywood is to female-led films, no matter how extraordinary the story.
Kruger was named Best Actress at Cannes last year for “In the Fade.” She co-produced 2005’s “Frankie” and associate produced 2015’s “Sky,” both directed by frequent collaborator Fabienne Berthaud.
