David Jonsson Will Play Sammy Davis Jr. In Colman Domingo’s Directorial Debut, ‘Scandolous’

Actor David Jonsson is quickly becoming one of Hollywood’s brightest stars. Fresh off his stellar performance in Alien: Romulus, Jonsson is set to star opposite Sydney Sweeny in Colman Domingo’s directorial debut.

Deadline exclusively reports that Jonsson will play Sammy Davis Jr., and Sweeney will play film star Kim Novak in Scandalous. The film will tell the story of Davis Jr. and Novak’s love affair in 1957.

The website reports that Colman Domingo’s film has been fast-tracked at Miramax and will begin shooting in Los Angeles after Sweeney and Domingo finish filming season 3 of the hit HBO series Euphoria.

Per Deadline:

Before he became Miramax CEO, Jon Glickman originated the project at Panoramic, and remained high on it. Novak, star of Vertigo, and Rat Pack member Davis were at the peak of star power when they met while guests on The Steve Allen Show. They fell hard for each other, but as rumors spread, the rampant racism in America threatened to derail their careers. Novak experience the ire of Harry Cohn, the Columbia Pictures chief who had the actress under contract. Their covert affair became big news when a Chicago gossip columnist in early 1958 wrote a detailed account of their relationship, including their plans to marry. This despite their denials. Davis nine days later married a Black chorus girl named Loray White.

Sweeney is coming off her performance in one of the year’s sleeper hits, Anyone but You, opposite Glen Powell. Deadline reports that Sweeney was “very active” in getting this project and will also serve as a producer along with Tani Cohen and Bobby Rock, with Jon Levin as the executive producer.

Domingo has also been busy coming off award-worthy performances in Rustin and Sing Sing. He also has a film about Nat King Cole he will direct and star in.