Jared Leto to Star in Biopic on Fashion Icon

Jared Leto is reportedly set to star as another fashion designer. The House of Gucci star was cast as Karl Lagerfeld in a biopic endorsed by Lagerfeld’s House of Karl Lagerfeld. Others close to the late fashion icon are involved in the film’s production.

The storyline for the film is being kept under wraps. Producers are still searching for writers and directors, Deadline reports. It will likely focus on the important relationships in Lagerfeld’s life. Leto said Lagerfeld has always “been an inspiration” to him. The actor is producing with Emma Ludbrook under their Paradox production banner.

“He was a true polymath, an artist, an innovator, a leader, and, most importantly, a kind man,” Leto said. “When we came together with the Karl Lagerfeld team, we immediately shared a creative vision of doing a respectful ode to Karl while pushing the artistic boundaries of what a biopic can be. I’m so grateful to Karo, Pier, and Seb for allowing us to go on this journey together.”

Pier Paolo Righi, Caroline Lebar, and Sébastien Jondeau, who all worked with Lagerfeld, are executive producers on the film. Lebar was an advisor for his brand and personal communications, while Righi was his CEO. Jondeau was Lagerfeld’s personal assistant and bodyguard for 20 years and still works for Lagerfeld as a style consultant.

“Over the years, we have been approached by several Hollywood producers who suggested to partner on a movie about Karl’s iconic life,” Righi added. “It has been only since we met Jared and Emma that we felt truly confident about the story being told in the artistic way Karl would have loved to see. Throughout our conversations, we have created an equally trustful and inspiring creative relationship that will allow us to work together very fluidly on this beautiful project.”

Lagerfeld was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1933 and was the creative director for the French fashion house Chanel from 1983 until his death in February 2019. He remains one of the most revered fashion designers of the 20th Century. Next year’s Met Gala theme will be Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, which also serves as the theme for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 2023 Costume Institute Exhibition subject.

Leto previously played fashion designer Paolo Gucci in Ridley Scott’s 2021 film House of Gucci. He has played several other real people throughout his career, including murderer Raymond Martinez Fernandez in Lonely Hearts and John Lennon’s killer Mark David Chapman in Chapter 27. He won an Oscar for his supporting role in Dallas Buyers Club. Earlier this year, he starred in the Sony/Marvel movie Morbius and was cast as the Hatbox Ghost in Disney’s upcoming Haunted Mansion movie. Leto also starred in Apple TV+’s WeCrashed as former WeWork CEO Adam Neumann.