 Wyler, William (qv) first considered making this film as a follow  up to _Roman Holiday (1953)_ (qv); as in that film,  Peck, Gregory (qv) would have played the male lead opposite  Hepburn, Audrey (qv). At that time he had a darker mood in mind  and approached Kubrick, Stanley (qv), who had recently made  _Killing, The (1956)_ (qv), to contribute.