Lily Collins is set to portray Audrey Hepburn in a new film about the making of the 1961 classic Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
The actor confirmed the news in an Instagram post, writing: “It's with almost 10 years of development and a lifetime of admiration and adoration for Audrey that I’m finally able to share this. Honoured and ecstatic don’t begin to express how I feel.”
The as-yet-untitled film will be based on Sam Wasson’s nonfiction book Fifth Avenue, 5 AM: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and the Dawn of the Modern Woman, which chronicles the turbulent making of the film, and the contributions of screenwriter George Axelrod, costume designer Edith Head, and director Blake Edwards.
The book details dramatic pre-production battles, including writer Truman Capote’s unsuccessful campaign to cast Marilyn Monroe as Holly Golightly and his later claim that Paramount had “double-crossed” him by casting Hepburn, as well as on-set tensions, studio efforts to soften the character’s sexual undertones, and the film’s lasting cultural impact.
The screenplay is being written by Alena Smith, the creator of the Apple TV+ series Dickinson. No director has yet been announced.
Collins’ production company Case Study Films and Imagine Entertainment are developing the film with producer Scott LaStaiti.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s, adapted from Truman Capote’s 1958 novella of the same name, starred Hepburn as Holly Golightly, a young New York socialite who befriends a struggling writer living in her apartment building, played by George Peppard as Paul Varjak. The film follows their evolving relationship as Holly attempts to secure a wealthy husband.
The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, including a best actress nod for Hepburn, and won two Oscars for its score and song “Moon River”.
Hepburn’s portrayal of Holly Golightly has gone down as one of the most iconic performances in Hollywood history, with her black Givenchy dress and opening scene outside Tiffany & Co. becoming enduring images of 20th-century cinema.
Collins has previously spoken about her admiration for Hepburn, and has, on several occasions on her Instagram, talked about Hepburn being her muse, replicating the late actor’s looks from 1963 film Charade while in Megève.
In a 2014 interview with Today, Collins explained how she has always been “inspired by her films” and named Funny Face and Sabrina as her favourites.
“In her films, her smile and her eyes said it all. She could convey strong emotions without even opening her mouth. For an actress, being able to express something without talking is the most powerful thing you can do,” she had said at the time.
“And she was so elegant...I’ve always been rather fascinated by her personality, her character. Of course, she’s sublime and iconic and I’m very honoured to be compared to her, but I am in no way trying to be the next Audrey Hepburn. At any rate, no one can be the next Audrey Hepburn!”
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