MUMBAI: The Weinstein Company (TWC) has acquired US distribution rights to W.E., Madonna’s directorial debut of a feature film.

W.E. is a romantic drama co-written by Madonna and Alek Keshishian, produced by Madonna and Kris Thykier and executive produced by Scott Franklin. It stars Abbie Cornish, Oscar Isaac, James D’Arcy, Andrea Riseborough, Natalie Dormer, Richard Coyle, James Fox and Laurence Fox.

Spanning six decades, W.E. juxtaposes a contemporary love story with that of King Edward VIII and American divorcee Wallis Simpson.

"W.E. is about the nature of true love, and the sacrifices and compromises that are often made. I’ve wanted to tell this story for a very long time, and bringing it to life has been a great adventure for me. I’m looking forward to working with Harvey and The Weinstein Company on this film," said Madonna.

TWC co-chairman Harvey Weinstein said, "Madonna has really come into her own as a filmmaker with W.E. She’s taken one of the most famous romances of the 20th Century and brought it to life in a smart, sexy and thoroughly modern way. It’s a terrific addition to our US release slate."

TWC president of production Donna Gigliotti added, "The advance footage for W.E. was some of the most impressive I’ve ever seen. I can’t wait for American audiences to have the opportunity to see this film."