It was first announced on February 1, 2016, that Colette would be directed by Still Alice 's (2014) Wash Westmoreland, who co-wrote the script with his late Still Alice collaborator and husband Richard Glatzer.
Fearing scandal, Georgie's husband purchases and burns all copies of the book before sale, but does not purchase the copyright, allowing Willy to reprint and sell the book.
Colette discovers this, and bases her next book, Claudine en ménage, on the episode. Jealous, Willy also begins an affair with Georgie. Initially objecting, Colette writes Claudine à Paris, which becomes another bestseller.Īs Colette and Willy become an increasingly recognized couple, she attracts the notice of Georgie Raoul-Duval, a Louisiana debutante, and they begin an affair. Faced with his first true hit, Willy tells his publisher a sequel is coming, purchases a country house, and locks Colette in a room there to force her to write. Claudine à l'école becomes a bestseller, particularly attracting a female readership. He suggests revisions and the novel is submitted and published under Willy's byline. Years later, some of Willy's furniture is repossessed, and he stumbles on the draft. She completes a draft of Claudine à l'école, which Willy rejects for lacking plot. With Willy increasingly unable to pay his writers, he asks Colette to write a novel based on her school stories. He eventually persuades her to return, promising honesty.Ĭolette also tells him of her days as a schoolgirl. One day, Colette finds Willy with a prostitute, leading to a separation. He commissions one ghostwriter to work on a novel while Colette manages his correspondence. However, he finds the limited output does not bring in enough revenue to cover his expenses, due to his expensive lifestyle entertaining socialites. Willy refers to himself as a "literary entrepreneur", employing a number of ghostwriters to write articles. Willy eventually brings Colette to Paris as his bride, with socialites expressing surprise a libertine like him would marry. Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette is a young woman from the rural Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye at the end of the 19th century, who begins an affair with Willy.