Film fans are rejoicing following confirmation that Lily Collins has been cast as the late, great Audrey Hepburn.
The Emily in Paris actress, 36, will portray the British film legend in a movie about the making of the 1961 classic Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Hepburn, who died of appendix cancer in 1993, aged 63, has long been ranked as one of the most iconic screen stars, revered and imitated in the decades since for both her on-screen charm and distinctive fashion.
Romantic comedy Breakfast at Tiffany’s undeniably shaped her legacy, with the black Givenchy dress and designer sunglasses her character, Holly Golightly, wore becoming famous worldwide.
Her portrayal of the free-spirited, eccentric socialite propelled her to stardom, earning her an Oscar and Golden Globe nomination and solidifying her as an emblem of timeless glamour.
So, it’s understandable why people would have high expectations of any actress who steps into her shoes today.
Thankfully, on this occasion, the consensus is that the casting team got it spot on.
Taking to Instagram tonight, Collins wrote alongside an image of Hepburn: ‘It’s with almost 10 years of development and a lifetime of admiration and adoration for Audrey that I’m finally able share this.’
She declared that ‘honoured and ecstatic don’t begin to express’ how she feels.
Comments quickly flooded in to praise the casting choice, with Lucy Hale writing: ‘Absolutely born for this 👏 so happy for you’.
A very excited Sarah Hyland wrote: ‘I SWEAR TO GOD. I’VE BEEN SAYING THIS SINCE THE MOMENT WE MET!!! YESSSS!!!!!!🙌🙌🙌’
Fans further called Lily, who has also been cast in the Polly Pocket movie, ‘the only person for the role’, saying she could ‘not be a better fit’ and even likening her to a ‘modern’ Hepburn.
‘There is no one more perfect for this role!! Cannot wait to see it!!’, wrote @colexxhearted.
‘I wouldn’t accept anyone else for this role!! Congratulations! 🍾’, stated @its_natalie_bagby.
@mandimapesmusic echoed: ‘I have waited for this moment!! Always thought you are Audrey’s twin!! 😍’
Alena Smith, creator of the Apple series Dickinson, will write the screenplay for Collins, based on Sam Wasson’s bestselling book Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and the Dawn of the Modern Woman. Wasson will serve as an executive producer.
Collins’ casting announcement follows widespread rumours that Wicked actress Ariana Grande was due to take on the role, which her fans championed – it’s still plausible that Grande could be in a later biopic.
The pop star was quick to brush off questions about it, though, jokingly telling a reporter at last year’s Met Gala that they were ‘insane’ for comparing her look that night to the essence of Hepburn.
‘Oh my goodness, why is everyone asking me this? You’re insane!’, she laughed.
As a self-proclaimed lover of all things old Hollywood, Grande, 32, also told Entertainment Tonight of the possibility of playing Hepburn: ‘That would have to be done so well and so perfectly … I don’t know.’
When the reporter told her that she’d be capable, she responded: ‘That’s very kind.’
But the Dangerous Woman hitmaker isn’t the only person to be compared to Hepburn, with Collins’ father-in-law, Malcolm McDowell, also making the connection.
Do you think Lily Collins is the right choice for Audrey Hepburn?
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Yes, she's perfect
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Should've been Ariana
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Someone else
Speaking in 2024, he called Collins ‘one of the best young actresses around’, adding: ‘I love watching her — she’s got that Audrey Hepburn kind of thing going, which is indefinable in a way, but it’s there.’
‘There’s a sort of light that shines behind the eyes somehow,’ he also complimented. ‘She’s really fantastic. And she’s just like that, by the way — when you meet her, she’s what you meet and what you see is what you get. She’s delightful.’
Even as far back as 2016, Collins was earning Hepburn comparisons, as her The Last Tycoon co-star Matt Bomer spoke of her ‘effortless glamour’ at the time.
‘She has such an elegance and grace, very reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor,’ he said during their joint press. ‘You’re immediately struck by her beauty and her grace.’
Naturally, though, many feel protective of Hepburn and hope that Collins can do her justice.
On X, @igwhiz04 said it’s an ‘intriguing casting choice’ and that Collins’ casting ‘sets high expectations’.
‘It will be interesting to see how the production captures the legacy and cultural impact of such an iconic performance,’ they wrote.
‘Lily Collins has the poise and elegance to pull it off, but stepping into Hepburn’s shoes is always going to invite scrutiny’, @professorp24045 added.
‘You can cast the look but you can’t cast Audrey Hepburn’s aura’, said @shivvnp, while @UPPER_ECHEL0N predicted the ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s film is going to be something special… or a glorious mess.’
We guess time will tell.
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