Before the likes of Madonna and Cher earned fame with just one name, there was French writer Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, who went by the single moniker Colette. Now Still Alice co-director Wash Westmoreland is preparing a biopic of her, and has Keira Knightley close to a deal to star.
Westmoreland wrote the film with his late husband and fellow Alice writer/director Richard Glatzer and will be calling the shots. The biopic will focus on Colette's marriage to celebrated Parisian scribe Willy Gauthier-Villars, who was 14 years older than his wife when they married in 1893 and one of the most notorious libertines in Paris. During their time together, he introduced her to some of the more avant-garde circles and encouraged both her literary prowess and her love for women. After their separation in 1906, her writing career truly took off and she became known for works such as Gigi, Cheri and the Claudine series of books. A mime, an actress and a journalist at various points in her career, she was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1948.
You can see why the filmmakers and now Knightley might be attracted to the story, and it has the backing of Bold Films and HanWay Films, the latter of which worked on Carol.Pam Koffler, Christine Vachon, Elizabeth Karlsen and Empire video blog stalwart Stephen Woolley are all on board to produce, and Westmoreland is scheduled to start shooting this May in Budapest.