For the first time in a long time, we can be happy about a fever. Michelle Williams is set to star in Fever, an upcoming biopic about American singer and actress Peggy Lee from director Todd Haynes (I’m Not There). Even more intriguing, pop superstar Billie Eilish is in talks to executive produce.
Born in 1920, Lee got her start singing on local radio before catching the attention of famed jazz bandleader Benny Goodman. She starred in several movies, earning an Oscar nomination for her work in 1955’s Pete Kelly’s Blues and lending her voice to Disney’s Lady and the Tramp. Today, she is best remembered for her sultry vocals, especially on her most popular song, 1958’s “Fever”, which received several nominations at the first ever Grammy Awards.
The project reunites Williams with Haynes, who she previously worked with in the Bob Dylan film I’m Not There. Fever is based on a Nora Ephron screenplay, which has been reworked by Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning screenwriter Doug Wright.
As Billboard reports, Eilish is in discussions to be a producer alongside her mother Maggie Baird and her business partner Justin Laird. Devoted Eilashers might recognize Laird as an executive producer on the upcoming Apple TV+ documentary Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry, which is out February 26th.
Speaking of Apple TV+, Haynes’ other upcoming musical project, a documentary about The Velvet Underground, is also coming to the streaming platform.