Audrey Hepburn is the subject of numerous documentaries, but she's soon to become the focus of a new TV series dedicated to her life. For all her fame and fortune, Hepburn was blighted by tragedy and trauma, starting with her childhood spent in the Netherlands under Nazi occupation in World War II. Hepburn may be one of the most famous faces in the world, but there is a lot more to her story than meets the eye.
A forthcoming TV show called Audrey will unpick some of the lesser known parts of her story in what will be the first time her life has been portrayed for a global market. So, what do we know so far?
What will the series focus on?
Variety reports that the show will explore Hepburn's “formative years” , which were pretty remarkable in itself. She endured hardship in Nazi-occupied Holland from 1940-45, where food supplies ran out. The malnutrition that she experienced during this period forever stunted her growth and caused the slight frame she is known for. "Had we known that we were going to be occupied for five years, we might have all shot ourselves," she later said. "We thought it might be over next week, six month, next year… that's how we got through." Her parents divorced when she was six and his departure would go onto have a huge impact in terms of her romantic relationships. She and her mother eventually moved to London where her dreams of becoming a ballerina where squashed because of the malnutrition she had faced in Holland. Instead, she took on modelling and acting jobs to help support she and her mother, who at that time was working as a hotel cleaner. Aside from Hepburn's 'formative years' very little is known about what the TV series will delve into.
Who is making it?
The treatment has been co-written by Hepburn's son, Luca Dotti, and Italian journalist and writer Luigi Spinola. Dotti’s father was Italian psychiatrist Andrea Dotti, whom Hepburn married in 1970 and divorced a decade later. US writer-producer Jacqueline Hoyt, who is known for The Good Wife, will pen the drama. It will be produced by Italy’s Wildside, the company behind HBO's acclaimed adaptation of Elena Ferrante's My Brilliant Friend.
Who will star in it?
No casting details have been disclosed, but the titular role will surely be among the most coveted in Hollywood. Speculation over who might be chosen to play the actress is difficult, given it's unclear what time periods of her life the series will focus on. An unknown newcomer could be a good option for Hepburn's younger years, while Kristen Stewart, Lily Collins, Rooney Mara and Natalie Portman would be strong contenders to star as adult Audrey.
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