As a filmmaker, you always want to have irons in the fire. So after an earlier in the year mention of making a Nat King Cole biopic the subject of his directorial debut, we now learn that Colman Domingo will move onto the real life love affair between film star Kim Novak and singer/dancer and film star Sammy Davis Jr. circa 1957. Sydney Sweeney and David Jonsson topline the project. Deadline breaks the news that Miramax has been fast-tracking Scandalous to time it when Domingo and Sweeney complete Season 3 of the HBO series Euphoria. Sweeney produces with Tani Cohen and Bobby Roth. Jon Levin is exec producing. We recall reading the lengthy Vanity Fair article (read) which details just how much power studio moguls had back in the day.
Written by Matthew Fantaci (read a script review), this is about the highly scrutinized relationship between Sammy Davis Jr. and Kim Novak which occurred during a time when interracial couples faced immense social and legal challenges, as interracial relationships were still illegal in half of the United States. Their romance, which involved one of the most famous Black entertainers and a white Hollywood star, provoked a strong backlash in a racially divided society. This controversial relationship reportedly drew threats from studio executives and the mob, fearing it could damage Novak’s career and provoke public outrage. Their relationship highlighted the deep-seated racial tensions of the era.
