Emily in Paris Star Lily Collins Transforms Into a Hollywood Legend in Her Boldest Role Yet

Nearly a decade in the making, Emily in Paris star Lily Collins will channel Audrey Hepburn in a new film that pulls back the curtain on the making of the 1961 classic Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Lily Collins has been trying to get this one made for close to a decade, and now she’s finally stepping into the little black dress: she’s playing Audrey Hepburn in a feature about the making of 1961’s Breakfast at Tiffany's.

The angle

This isn’t a standard biopic. The movie zeroes in on how Breakfast at Tiffany's came together and how it shifted the culture around it. It’s based on Sam Wasson’s book "Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman," which tracks the creative push-and-pull that shaped the film — from author Truman Capote to director Blake Edwards to legendary costumer Edith Head — with Hepburn at the center of that storm.

Who’s writing it

Alena Smith, who created the Apple series "Dickinson," wrote the screenplay. Smart pairing for a story about image, reinvention, and the birth of a modern screen icon.

Quick refresher on the original

Released in 1961, Breakfast at Tiffany's made Hepburn a global fashion and cultural icon as Holly Golightly, a free-spirited New Yorker who tangles romantically with her neighbor, writer Paul Varjak, played by George Peppard.

• Also in the cast: Mickey Rooney, Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen, and Martin Balsam.

The mess behind the magic

According to Wasson’s book, preproduction wasn’t smooth. Capote reportedly wanted Marilyn Monroe for Holly and was not thrilled when the studio chose Hepburn instead — he felt the studio had turned on him.

'double-crossed'

And yet, Hepburn’s performance didn’t just work; it defined the film and helped push it into classic status.

Why Collins makes sense

Collins has long talked up her admiration for Hepburn, and the resemblance conversation has followed her for years. She announced the project on Instagram, which tracks — this is a passion play for her, and it shows.

Where this is headed

With Collins officially attached, the long-developing Hepburn/Breakfast at Tiffany's film just took a real step forward. More to come as the pieces lock in.