Helen Mirren to play Queen Elizabeth

Helen Mirren [ Images ] will play Queen Elizabeth II [ Images ] in a film that delves into the strained relationship between Buckingham Palace and 10, Downing Street after Princess Diana's [ Images ] death on August 31, 1997.

The Guardian reported on Monday that the film -- which will be directed by Stephen Frears (My Beautiful Laundrette, Dirty Pretty Things) -- will focus on the week after Diana's death.

Tentatively titled The Queen, the director hopes Mirren's casting will make the film more appealing to audiences abroad.

Mirren -- one of the finest British actresses -- has acted in critically acclaimed films like Calendar Girls, Gosford Park, The Madness of King George and Excalibur.

Michael Sheen, who played British Prime Minister Tony Blair [ Images ] in Channel 4's The Deal, a television drama about the alleged pact made by Blair and Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown [ Images ] over the Labour party leadership, will once again play Blair.