Antonio Banderas to star in upcoming Versace biopic
The Spanish actor is set to play Gianni Versace, the famous Italian fashion designer who was shot dead in 1997, in a movie directed by Danish filmmaker Bille August.
The Scandinavian director talked about his latest project at the Marrakech International Film Festival, where he is a jury member this year. His feature film about the Versace family is due to start filming in March 2017.
The family saga will begin at the end of the 1970s, when Gianni, Santo and Donatella Versace created their own fashion house in Milan. It was an immediate hit, and the brand quickly became a prestigious label in the world of luxury clothing, accessories (bags, glasses, watches) and beauty products.
Bille August promises a spectacular cast, likely to be announced early in 2017. The director has, however, already named Antonio Banderas for the role of Gianni Versace, who was assassinated at the height of his career July 15, 1997. The designer was shot dead by the American serial killer, Andrew Cunanan.
The biopic will reunite the actor with the Danish filmmaker more than 20 years since "The House of the Spirits."
Bille August is one of the very few directors to have won two of the Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or awards, for "Pelle the Conqueror" (1988) and "The Best Intentions" (1992). But he isn't the only filmmaker focusing on the fashion world. Hong Kong director Wong Kar-Wai is working on a Gucci family biopic with Margot Robbie. Plus, British director Andrew Haigh ("45 Years") will be telling the story of Alexander McQueen, the British fashion designer who committed suicide in 2010, with Jack O'Connel ("Invincible," "Money Monster") in the lead role.
The small screen is set to delve into fashion history too. After the O.J. Simpson affair and Hurricane Katrina, FX TV series "American Crime Story" will also be looking at the death of Gianni Versace. Lady Gaga, who has previously starred in "American Horror Story," is signed up to play his sister, Donatella.
