Kim Novak has some concerns about the upcoming biopic detailing her affair with singer Sammy Davis Jr, especially about the actress set to play her. Novak sat down with The London Times on Friday, March 27th, to talk about her recent documentary, Kim Novak’s Vertigo, when she criticized the Scandalous! casting choice of Sydney Sweeney to play Novak.

Novak stated that she “would never have approved,” believing that Sweeny “sticks out so much above the waist.” The Vertigo actress also believes and worries that the film will focus on the sexual side of her relationship with Davis Jr., when it was based on them “having so much in common.” She further explained,

There’s no way it wouldn’t be a sexual relationship because Sydney Sweeney looks sexy all the time. She was totally wrong to play me.

Set to direct Scandalous! is actor and Sweeney’s Euphoria co-star Colman Domingo in his directorial feature debut, David Jonsson will portray Davis Jr. It was seemingly Sweeney’s idea to get Domingo on board with the project, which she also serves as a producer on, explaining on The Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg’s Awards Chatter podcast,

When I was putting the package together, we were circling different directors. There was one previously attached and I just felt like the story really needed to have a different voice. The entire time I was like the only person who would really be able to tell this story and to the degree that it needs to be beautifully told is Colman Domingo. So I called him up and I was like, ‘Hey, I don’t know if you even want to direct, but there’s a script that I’d really love to send you. And if you like it, it’s yours. If not, I won’t be offended. He read it within like a few hours and he called me back and he was like, ‘This is exactly what I’ve been telling my team I want to find.’ We’ve been putting it together and raising financing — it’s been a labor of love.

Domingo told Deadline in November 2024 that the goal was to start production on the film after he and Sweeney finished shooting the final season of Euphoria, which wrapped in the summer of 2025. The Sing Sing star also shared his goal for his feature debut, saying,

And then hopefully we’ll make a beautiful, sweet film that’s really about the possibility of love, but under many eyes, trying to have privacy, trying to have love, trying to have a life. And I think it’s something that Sydney and I both know very well. We’re trying to advocate for your humanity again in your life.

​Kim Novak’s Vertigo releases in select cinemas on April 3rd.