Kim Novak slams Sydney Sweeney's casting in Sammy Davis Jr romance biopic with brutal remark

Film bosses have been criticised by Kim Novak for casting Sydney Sweeney in an upcoming biopic based on her life.

Titled Scandalous!, the production will hone in on Novak's real-life love affair with musician and comedian Sammy Davis Jr.

The pair famously dated in the 1950s until external pressures ended their relationship.

Novak later confirmed a long-standing rumour that Harry Cohn, the head of Columbia Pictures, threatened to have a mob attack the music star after their relationship was outed by a gossip columnist, having allegedly taken issue with the fact that Davis Jr was a Black man.

Last year, following confirmation that Colman Domingo will make his directorial debut with a biopic based on their romance, she told The Guardian: "I don’t think the relationship was scandalous.

Novak slammed the choice to cast Sweeney as 'totally wrong' (Francois Durand/Getty Images)

"He’s somebody I really cared about."

Novak also expressed concerns that a film portrayal might reduce their relationship to physicality, adding: "We had so much in common, including that need to be accepted for who we are and what we do, rather than how we look.

"But I’m concerned they’re going to make it all sexual reasons."

Speaking to The Times last week (27 Mar), however, retired movie star Novak, 93, also slammed the decision of producers to cast 28-year-old Sweeney, describing the Euphoria actress as 'totally wrong to play me'.

Novak dated Davis Jr in the 1950s (Archive Photos/Getty Images)

"I would never have approved," she continued, adding that Sweeney 'sticks out so much above the waist'.

Novak also re-expressed her fear that Sweeney might lean too heavily into the 'sexual' component of her relationship with Davis Jr, who'll reportedly be played by David Jonsson.

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

Sweeney, meanwhile, seemingly couldn't be more thrilled to be taking on the character, telling PEOPLE during a movie premiere last year she's 'incredibly honoured to be bringing Kim to life'.

Davis Jr will reportedly be played by David Jonsson (Archive Photos/Getty Images)

"I mean, she is such an amazing actress," The Housemaid star gushed. "I think her story is still very relevant today in that she dealt with Hollywood and scrutiny with her relationships and her own private life and the control of her image.

"And I think that for me, I relate to it in a lot of different ways."

Tyla contacted Sweeney's representatives for comment.