Chariots of Fire: fans loving Olympic film with tragic link to Princess Diana

Fans are loving that the historical Olympics movie Chariots of Fire has landed on Disney+. The film follows the true story of Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams, two British athletes who competed in the 1924 Games. But did you know the film's link to the late Princess Diana and her partner, Dodi Fayed ?

The movie, which was released back in 1981 and stars Ben Cross and Ian Charleson, saw Dodi Fayed serve as an executive producer. The making of the movie, which went on to be nominated for seven Oscars and won four, including Best Picture, was depicted in The Crown. Dodi and Diana, who had been dating since July, were both killed in a car crash in 1997 while driving away from paparazzi in Paris, along with their driver, Henri Paul.

© Aaron Rapoport

While The Crown depicted Dodi's involvement with the film production company Allied Stars as a proud moment for him and his father, Mohamed Al Fayed, the movie's producer Lord Puttnam had a very different perspective.

Speaking to the Daily Mail in 2012, he said: "He was one of the laziest human beings I’ve ever come across. So the idea of him being an executive producer was always going to be hopeless because he had the attention span of the average flea."

He continued: "Dodi had other things on his mind than developing a film career for himself, of which girls and drugs rated pretty highly – and not necessarily in that order."

Puttnam added that he suspected Dodi had given the cast drugs during his visit, explaining: "I said to Dodi, 'With the best will in the world, Dodi, this didn’t happen. And I never want to see you again around my cast and crew.' It was very unpleasant."

© Ron Galella

Michael Peyser, who worked with Dodi throughout his career in the film industry, reflected: "He was the ultimate go-between facilitator. He could get you everything you needed. Let me put it this way: I’ve worked with many more people who are of less substance and had less understanding of the storytelling they were doing

"He was coddled by his family, but as an individual, he was a real guy with the kind of infectious, giggling laugh that couldn’t stop. He enjoyed life, you know? And that’s what I would say. He was a good spirit and protective and embracing in a certain kind of way."

Speaking to Variety about the company in 2003, Mohamed said: "Allied Stars was Dodi’s idea. He was in love with and involved with movies since he was a child.

"But the culture I come from (Egypt) creates a natural link to the movie business, whether it be larger-than-life creations like the pyramids or romantic characters like Cleopatra. It’s a culture of fantasy, dreams and what you might call the first special effects!"