Twenty years ago, Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film Marie Antoinette was released to a mixed reaction. Some applauded its unusual nature, while others dismissed it. Critics booed the film at Cannes, calling it a superficial, pastel-coloured confection. However, with a major new exhibition at the Petit Trianon inside the Palace of Versailles, running from 22 September 2026 until 24 January 2027, the film is now receiving the ultimate institutional validation. Conceived in close collaboration with the filmmaker and curated by Laurent Salomé, director of the National Museum of the Châteaux of Versailles, and Hélène Delalex, the palace’s chief curator of heritage, the show transforms a once-misunderstood project into a celebrated work of art.
As visitors move through the venue, they encounter a dialogue between real history and cinematic illusion, exploring the Trianon estate as the Queen's personal domain, which Louis XVI gifted to her as a private sanctuary away from the rigid etiquette and intrigue of court. It showcases original production artefacts, including Milena Canonero's costumes and accessories, which won an Oscar for Best Costume Design, offering insight into how the film transcends the traditional, restrained boundaries of period dramas. By emphasising the opulence of the French court, the film also reveals the isolation and performative nature of Marie Antoinette’s life, portraying her existence as a continuous public spectacle.
Sofia Coppola on the set of Marie Antoinette
'I was surprised and excited that the curators wanted to do this exhibit,' Coppola tells Wallpaper*. 'It’s a strange, unique feeling to visit elements of the filmmaking in Marie Antoinette’s actual home, to look at our interpretation of her next to her real busts, with the view of her garden, blurring history and recreation in a way I’ve never seen before. I haven’t worked on an exhibit before, and the curators really invited me and let me set it up, which was amazing to do in the place.'
Stepping inside the ground floor of the Petit Trianon, the intimate space evokes a domestic tranquillity. Unlike other French Queens, such as Catherine de Medici, Marie Antoinette’s historical image carries a lightness of spirit, characterised by fashion, courtly entertainments and pastoral escapism, which were criticised during her lifetime. This exhibition highlights this by presenting the space not as a fixed monument but as an active home.
Coppola's bold aesthetic choices, including decadent visuals paired with a 1980s pop soundtrack, create a juxtaposition between consumerism and historical introspection. The film reflects not only Marie Antoinette’s evolution from a confined teenager to an independent mother amid societal upheaval, but also explores themes of isolation. 'I tried to convey the way they lived and Marie Antoinette’s emotional state and bring the audience into their world instead of looking back as a history lesson. To make it feel tangible and immersive, that you’re there with them. I felt that it could be made with the same playfulness as her follies,' Coppola says.
The retrospective, supported by Cartier, marks a moment of reflection for the institution of Versailles. For Salomé, launching this unique film archive at the palace felt timely, connecting the location’s cinematic legacy with an ambitious curatorial approach. 'It's a very unusual exhibition for us because we don't usually have events like this at the Petit Trianon,' he explains. 'This is the first time we have an exhibition on one film and the making of it.'
Choosing the château was an intentional storytelling decision. 'A lot of the scenes actually made in Versailles were shot in the main palace, but Petit Trianon is completely related to Marie Antoinette,' Salomé says, noting that it became her rural refuge from stiff court etiquette. The exhibit pays homage to the artistry of filmmaking.
The space is filled with visual influences and production artefacts, including diamond jewellery, feathers, and make-up sketches, surrounded by mannequin heads styled with powdered white wigs. On the first floor, mannequins, dressed in Canonero’s elaborate gowns, sit on the original furniture. Salome makes an interesting point about the juxtaposition of new and old. 'The challenge of having film costumes, which of course are not historical 18th-century dresses, is how they work in the actual place where Marie Antoinette lived.' Coppola's film is the only production filmed in this remarkably preserved theatre on the Petit Trianon grounds.
Accompanying the exhibition is the book Making Marie Antoinette, published by Mack and compiled by Coppola's collaborator Andrew Durham, which offers personal insight into the film's creative process. It illustrates daily life on set, juxtaposing historical artistry with contemporary realities such as lavish 18th-century-style wigs alongside modern-day flip phones and ornate gowns worn during cast members' cigarette breaks. This depiction subverts the idealised portrayals of the French monarchy and reveals the genuine camaraderie among the cast and crew, adding depth to the spectacle. Traditional criticisms of the film's anachronisms, such as the appearance of Converse trainers, are addressed, presenting a more nuanced understanding of the film's approach to history and creativity.
'I love Andrew’s photos that capture what it was like on set, and hopefully people who like that film might enjoy this view of it,' Coppola says. 'He captures the actors off set and the mix of period and reality on a film set, them in wigs on their phones or at craft service. I never get jaded about movie magic and the fun of a film set where anything becomes possible.'
Also complementing the exhibition's material archive, Making Marie Antoinette (2026) is an almost 90-minute feature-length documentary being released by Mubi (on 6 November), drawing on 80 hours of behind-the-scenes footage filmed by Sofia Coppola's late mother, Eleanor Coppola. This previously unseen material offers an in-depth look at the film's production and an intimate portrait of the Coppola family, told through Oscar nominee Diane Lane's narration of excerpts from Eleanor's diary. 'It’s cringey for me to see myself as a young director, not yet sure about asserting myself, but I hope it shows how artists develop, and it was touching for me to see this through my mom’s eyes,' Coppola reflects. 'It was such a different time when a female point of view was unusual in film and she shows the pushback and what I was trying to do, which reminds me of that time and how different it was.'
The Versailles exhibition illustrates how the emotional and subjective aspects of a woman's life can go beyond political narratives, and how the story continues to evolve in the public consciousness. 'I tried to make Marie Antoinette human instead of a villain. Antonia Fraser’s biography opened up a new view on her,' Coppola says. 'I can see how, even more these days than when I made it, there’s a lot of pressure on looks, perception and commentary on this.'
'Marie Antoinette by Sofia Coppola', supported by Cartier, is at Petit Trianon inside the Palace of Versailles, running from 22 September 2026 until 24 January 2027
Making Marie Antoinette book (Important Flowers, 2026) by Andrew Durham, published by MACK, is now available to order. The Making Marie Antoinette documentary is in cinemas in the UK and Ireland from 23rd October 2026 and streaming exclusively on MUBI from 6th November 2026.
