Rooney Mara is Perfectly Cast as Audrey Hepburn in Apple’s Forthcoming Biopic

For over a decade, Rooney Mara has entranced audiences with her quietly assured, deeply moving performances in everything from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Carol and A Ghost Story to Guillermo del Toro’s beguiling noir Nightmare Alley, which seems poised to take awards season by storm. However, the twice-Oscar-nominated actor’s next film will be her most high-profile to date: she is set to play Audrey Hepburn in an upcoming drama from Apple that will delve into the actor, humanitarian and fashion icon’s life and work.

Given Mara’s porcelain skin, envy-inducing brows, and penchant for Givenchy-designed little black dresses, the casting seems a no-brainer. More good news? Taking the helm will be Luca Guadagnino, the lauded director of I Am Love, A Bigger Splash, and Call Me by Your Name, while playwright Michael Mitnick will pen the script. Plot details remain under wraps, but those searching for clues would be wise to rewatch Audrey, the 2020 documentary that follows the beloved actor from her childhood during World War II to her stint as a ballet dancer in London and her emergence as a Hollywood power player in the ’50s. The new release could also feasibly cover the stories behind her best-known films (Roman Holiday, Sabrina, Funny Face, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, My Fair Lady), her three major romances (with Mel Ferrer, Andrea Dotti, and Robert Wolders), and her work as an activist with UNICEF.

It isn’t the only project about the screen legend currently in development, either. In April 2021, it was reported that Jacqueline Hoyt, whose previous credits include The Good Wife, The Leftovers, and The Underground Railroad, would be writing a TV series that depicts Hepburn’s formative years. It’s based on a treatment co-authored by journalist Luigi Spinola and Hepburn’s son Luca Dotti, and due to be produced by Wildside, the company behind prestige hits The Young Pope and My Brilliant Friend. Which Audrey Hepburn story will be first to land on our screens? We can’t say for certain, but the costumes in both are sure to be exquisite.