Lily Collins is set to step into the shoes of one of the most beloved film and style icons of all time — Audrey Hepburn.
The actress, 36, will soon portray the classic Hollywood star in the upcoming adaptation of Sam Wasson's book Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman, released in 2010.
© Getty ImagesWhile the internet (as expected) has thoughts on the casting of the Emily in Paris star, who will also produce the film, as Audrey, in an exclusive conversation with HELLO!, Sam spoke highly of the actress and her ability to portray the Breakfast at Tiffany's star.
The perfect Audrey Hepburn
"It's clear that she loves it, and she obviously looks like Audrey," the acclaimed author shared with us of first being approached by Lily for the adaptation a decade prior. "We know that there is Lily Collins for this part, and there is no one else. So it was not arduous, it was not debated." Case in point, a dream Truman Capote has not been set yet for the film.
© Gary CopelandThe acclaimed author, who also serves as an executive producer for the upcoming project, believes that Lily perfectly embodies the unique contradictions that make her right for the part. "The combination of innocence and sexuality, the combination of being young and sophisticated."
"To be stylish but also tender," he noted. "She has those things that Audrey had. But it's mostly [that] Lily represents a girl on the cusp of womanhood. At the moment, she is youthful and mature in a way that Audrey was, which makes her so resonant to young women. And ideally suited to any story about growing up."
© Getty ImagesBringing it to life
The film took a decade to finally be greenlit and enter production, which Sam told us mostly came down to the machinations of the industry. "Everything in Hollywood takes a long time," he posited. "There's so many moving pieces. Everything is expensive. Things go wrong. This is part of the problem of the system that we're in."
Taking on a figure like Audrey Hepburn is, of course, a mammoth task, not just because of the legacy she's created, but also the breadth of opinions on the matter. "Of course it's daunting, but if it weren't daunting, it wouldn't be worth doing!" Sam shared. "Because daunting means it's important."
© Alamy Stock Photo"It means people are counting on you. And that's what makes it worth doing," later adding that from an artistic standpoint: "If it's not scary, it's probably because it's been done before, and if it's been done before, you're wasting your time."
The real Hollywood story
It all ultimately connects back to his own vision for his work as well. "My [yearning] has always been to think about, remember, and convey the story of the real Hollywood. The glory of that system and those people and that work."
© Getty Images"Which is ever more important now, increasingly so with every passing year as we lose that, and move towards something deadly." As for the future, Sam also has other book-to-screen adaptations in the works, plus an upcoming book on the work of Frank Capra, which he dubs a true "immigrant story." Stay tuned!
