Kevin Costner never got to act alongside Princess Diana in a planned sequel to The Bodyguard, but he nonetheless has fond memories of his brief professional encounter with the late British royal.
In a wide-ranging interview on The Howard Stern Show this week, Kevin recalled approaching Diana about a potential role in a followup to the 1992 romantic drama, in which he’d starred opposite Whitney Houston.
He also credited Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, with connecting them sometime around 1996.
The project was shelved shelved in the wake of Diana’s death in a car crash in 1997, at the age of 36.
“I never made that movie because I could not replace Princess Di,” Kevin explained.
As for plot specifics, the movie would’ve taken place at least partly in Hong Kong and, in a case of art imitating life, would’ve depicted Diana’s break from the British royal family.
Watch Kevin Costner discuss Princess Diana and The Bodyguard below:
At some point in their discussions, Diana – who would’ve been making her screen acting debut in the film – made a very specific request, Kevin recalled.
“She said, ‘Is there going to be a kissing scene?’ And I said, ‘Do you want there to be one?’ And she said, ‘Yeah,’” he claimed. “And I said, ‘Then we’ll do that.’”
The original Bodyguard follows actor and singer Rachel Marron (played by Whitney), who hires a former Secret Service agent, Frank Farmer (Costner), after receiving death threats from an unknown stalker.
At first, the straight-laced Frank has no patience for Rachel’s diva antics. But the pair eventually fall in love ― and their budding romance puts both of their lives in danger.
The Bodyguard soundtrack featured Whitney’s stirring remake of Dolly Parton’s I Will Always Love You, as well as the hits I Have Nothing and I’m Every Woman. It remains the bestselling movie album of all time.
It’s unclear whether Diana would’ve been playing the film’s romantic lead, as Whitney did in the original. In his chat with Howard Stern, Kevin alluded to an unnamed Asian actor who was being considered as a love interest for his character.
Elsewhere in the interview, Kevin also opened up about an encounter he’d had with Prince William years later.
“He looked at me and he said, ‘My mum fancied you,’” he said. “It was the sweetest, gentlest thing.”
Kevin first opened up about his long-defunct Bodyguard sequel plans in a 2012 chat with Anderson Cooper. The Howard Stern interview, however, appears to be the first time he’s shared much about the plot ― as well as his potential co-star’s alleged crush.
Though the Bodyguard sequel never saw the light of day, plans for a remake of the original film were announced in 2021. Matthew López, who made his directorial debut last year with the gay romantic comedy Red, White & Royal Blue, is attached to write the screenplay, with Cardi B previously tipped for the main role.