Sydney Sweeney has lined up her latest project, and she’s taking a huge part in bringing it together, as one would expect. Sweeney is set to play iconic film star Kim Novak in Scandalous, a film described as a drama which has been fast-tracked into production by Miramax. Colman Domingo is set to make his directorial debut with the feature, which will also star Alien: Romulus breakout David Jonsson as Sammy Davis Jr. The film will explore the clandestine love affair between Davis Jr. and Novak in 1957. Deadline reports that the movie is set to film as soon as Sweeney and Domingo finish up their parts in the third season of HBO‘s Euphoria.
Sweeney has made a name for herself as a very canny producer already in her career, playing a huge role in the production of her hit movies Anyone But You, in which she appeared alongside Glen Powell, and the horror smash Immaculate, in which she played a tormented nun. Just as in the case of these two films, Sweeney was very active in putting this one together; she is on board as a producer of the movie alongside Tani Cohen and Bobby Roth, with Jon Levin executive producing. Matthew Fantaci is in charge of penning the screenplay.
What Happened Between Sammy Davis Jr. and Kim Novak?
Davis Jr. and Novak met while guests on The Steve Allen Show. Novak was just coming off Vertigo for Alfred Hitchcock, while Davis Jr. was one of the most famous musicians in the world due to his association with the Rat Pack. The relationship was sadly notable for the intense racism and controversy it provoked. Their relationship unfolded during a time when interracial relationships were heavily stigmatized in the U.S., particularly in Hollywood.
Columbia Pictures‘ head Harry Cohn, who had invested heavily in promoting Novak’s career, was furious about the relationship and was determined to derail it. Fearing the affair would damage Novak’s image and harm Columbia’s business, Cohn took drastic steps and, according to reports, even went as far as to get in touch with mob figures he knew to get close to Davis Jr. and threaten him, reportedly ordering him to break off the relationship or face physical harm. There’s a famous story that suggests gangster Mickey Cohen was involved in threatening Davis Jr. to end the affair.
via Collider