Audrey Hepburn is only the latest Old Hollywood leading lady to get the biopic treatment, and Modern Hollywood has found the Breakfast at Tiffany's legend a suitable impersonator: actress Rooney Mara
of Carol and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo renown. But though Mara is a stupendous actress, the announcement wasn't met without some controversy online. Here's what little we know yet about the upcoming Hepburn project, set to land at Apple, as well as why Mara's casting caused some consternation.
Mara herself is producing the project.
Deadline reported on January 7 that Oscar-nominated filmmaker Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name) will lead the film for Apple, with Mara attached both to act and produce. Michael Mitnick, known for his work on Vinyl and The Giver, will pen the script. No release date has been announced yet.
It's still unclear which parts of Hepburn's life the film will cover.
The actress lived a dramatic and worldly life, and Apple has yet to reveal whether the biopic will attempt to cover all of it or—as was the case with the recent Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz film Being The Ricardos—a single slice in time. Over the course of decades in Hollywood, Hepburn became one of famous actresses to ever notch an EGOT, but she was also a dedicated humanitarian and a fashion icon, having made the International Best Dressed List in 1961. In other words: Keep an eye out for some delightful costumes.
Some fans are frustrated Emily in Paris star Lily Collins didn't make the cut.
Many—this writer included—would argue Mara bears an uncanny resemblance to Hepburn. (Not to mention she shoulders the acting chops needed to meet such a challenging role head-on.) But not everyone was satisfied with the casting news when the announcement first hit social media in January. Fans of Lily Collins, the actress best known for playing Emily Cooper in the hit Netflix dramedy Emily in Paris, felt the role had been stolen from Collins, who also shares many of Hepburn's iconic features.
Lily Collins did everything except produce a biopic starring her as Audrey Hepburn. I know she mad Rooney Mara beat her to the punch. pic.twitter.com/x7YdPOpwCl
— ??????? (she/her) (@atomicwick) January 7, 2022
lily collins was born to play audrey hepburn and yes she does have the range. i said what i said pic.twitter.com/WQWejZwqlE
— kat✨ (@sugarysaturn) January 7, 2022
no one thought kristen stewart could pull off playing princess diana and she nailed it. lily collins would have 100% done the same with the audrey hepburn role if she had the chance. pic.twitter.com/AvwlbyIn5o
— kat✨ (@sugarysaturn) January 7, 2022
Rooney Mara did not act her little ass off in every role of her career to be upstaged by ppl upset that someone who simply resembles Audrey Hepburn didn’t get the role https://t.co/hfkil5Z9jg
— sleve mcdichael (@precambrianslut) January 7, 2022
Neither Mara nor Collins has responded to the drama, if we're even to call it that, which is a tremendous relief. Godspeed, Rooney. We'll see you in Monte Carlo.
This post will be updated.