Forgive us, cinephiles, but until this week it had totally slipped our minds that an Audrey Hepburn biopic was reportedly, supposedly, sort of in the works.
If you, too had forgotten that back in 2022, it was confirmed that Rooney Mara was linked to a film about the late actress’ life, you can’t be blamed. That January, news broke that the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo actress had been cast in and would produce the untitled project, which had been acquired by Apple and was set to be directed by Challengers and Queer director Luca Guadagnino. While Guadagnino exited the project around October 2023, the film was still going ahead as of February 2024, when Mara told Deadline: “The project is not completely dead … Luca is no longer going to be directing it, but the project is still very much alive. I can’t say more than that right now.”
Since then there has been little but silence surrounding the project. That was until this week, when Ariana Grande showed up at the Golden Globes looking decidedly Audrey-esque.
Is There Going To be an Audrey Hepburn Biopic?
Just like the next season of Euphoria, the future of the Mara-fronted, Guadagnino-directed Audrey Hepburn biopic is unclear.
Aside from the news the director had exited the project, we have heard very little about it since it was announced.
That is to say that whether or not the project will materialise is unclear—and no alternative biopic has been announce at the time of writing.
Where Does Ariana Grande Fit Into This?
An opaque story is a breeding ground for rumours. In lieu of actual news about a biopic, fans hungry for a retelling of Hepburn’s story are having to make do with mere theories and blind items.
One of the resounding hypotheses that hit the internet this week is that Ariana Grande could actually be set to play the Old Hollywood legend. Why, exactly? The Wicked star appeared at three events in a row wearing outfits that recalled Hepburn. While this may sound menial, the reference really is uncanny.
At the Golden Globes on January 5, Grande wore an archival Givenchy gown paired with opera gloves. Hubert de Givenchy was a long-time collaborator of Hepburn’s—he designed the iconic LBD she wore in Breakfast at Tiffany’s—and she was one of his main muses. She also had a penchant for an opera glove. Prior to that, Ariana wore a custom Louis Vuitton look at the Palm Springs International Film Awards, and archival Chanel at Variety’s 10 Directors To Watch and Creative Impact Awards—both vintage silhouettes, paired with a fringed hairstyle that resembled Hepburn’s iconic ‘do.
Grande famously manifested her role as Galinda in Wicked—a dream part she has reiterated she would have done anything to land—and it paid off. Could she be manifesting again? Perhaps.
Throughout the Wicked press tour, Grande and her co-star Cynthia Erivo consistently referenced their characters on the red carpet. Method dressing has become increasingly common in Hollywood—so, is Grande putting feelers out to the universe, or is she trying to tell us something? Or are we all reading into it too much?
For now, nothing has been confirmed regarding Mara’s project or a hypothetical Grande film, so all we can do is speculate.
Watch here for updates.
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