‘Transparent’s Stephanie Kornick And Zackary Drucker Board Candy Darling Biopic

EXCLUSIVE: Andy Warhol muse and LGBTQ icon Candy Darling is about to serve up some gag-worthy glamour on the big screen. Transparent alums Stephanie Kornick and Zackary Drucker have signed on to work on a biopic about the pioneering transgender actress produced by Christian D. Bruun, Katrina Wolfe, and Louis Spiegler.

Kornick will write the screenplay and Drucker has boarded the project in an advisory and executive producing role. A director and star have yet to be announced (although, feel free to chime in with your recommendations). Kornick and Drucker’s involvement in the project advance the need for representation behind the camera, giving a more authentic gaze to LGBTQ stories. This has been evident in Hollywood with Transparent as well as Ryan Murphy’s Pose on FX.

“I am deeply honored to be entrusted with the responsibility of adapting Candy’s incredible life story for the big screen,” says Kornick. “I learned a tremendous amount from Jill Soloway and the entire creative team behind Transparent, and am pleased to have the opportunity to bring that experience to crafting the story of such a legendary figure within LGBTQ history and culture.”

Drucker came aboard the project after Kornick, who was aware that Darling had been a lifelong hero of Drucker’s, recommended that she sit down with the producers. As a transgender artist, Drucker’s experiences and insights will represent an invaluable resource to the project. “It’s impossible to overstate the impact that Candy Darling has made on my life, and on the lives of so many others in my community,” said Drucker. “I’m absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to work with this brilliant team on bringing a nuanced and authentic depiction of her story to a wider audience.”

“Candy has inspired generations of filmmakers, playwrights, songwriters, and artists, but the details of her life are known to so few,” says Bruun, who first became interested in telling Darling’s story after befriending Jeremiah Newton, who serves as official guardian to Darling’s legacy and estate. Newton has provided the production with complete access to a treasure trove of materials, including Darling’s personal letters, photos, journals, and other personal effects. He will also serve as consultant and executive producer on the film.

A staple in Warhol’s Factory scene, Darling was known for her clever wit and good looks and she reached cult status when she starred in Warhol’s Women In Revolt and was later immortalized in popular songs including Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side” and The Velvet Underground’s “Candy Says” You may also recognize her fabulousness in her iconic portrait by photographer Peter Hujar. A central figure within the vibrant art and theater scenes of downtown New York City throughout the late 1960s and 1970s, Darling died of leukemia in 1974 at the age 29.