Italian producer Andrea Iervolino (Ferrari) has announced a movie biopic of the late fashion giant Giorgio Armani, according to Deadline.
According to the prolific Iervolino, the project has been in the works for several months and came about from “a personal desire to pay tribute to one of the greatest innovators of international fashion and an indelible symbol of Italian identity worldwide”.
“The passing of Gianni Armani has once again brought to the forefront the profound value and meaning that the Armani name represents for Italy and for the world,” the producer said.
We understand Crash writer Bobby Moresco, who has teamed with Iervolino multiple times and is directing the producer’s upcoming biopic Maserati: The Brothers starring Al Pacino, Anthony Hopkins, Andy Garcia and Jessica Alba, is attached to write the screenplay for the Armani biopic.
The film will follow the personal and professional evolution of Armani, widely regarded as among the most influential designers in 20th and 21st Century fashion. Armani was an intensely private man but had a longstanding personal relationship with his business partner, the architect, fashion designer and businessman Sergio Galeotti, who died of complications from AIDS in 1985. It’s not clear at this stage whether the film will take in Armani’s private life or focus solely on his work on the runway and red carpet. It’s also not clear whether Iervolino has sought collaboration from the Armani family on the project. Deadline has asked the question.
Armani passed away on September 4, aged 91, due to liver failure. The icon was previously the subject of a 2015 short film by Martin Scorsese.
Iervolino, whose credits also include To The Bone and the upcoming thriller Deep Water, said: “We all know the Armani brand, but we don’t always truly know the man Giorgio Armani: his story, the sacrifices, the vision that made possible an Italian dream recognized everywhere. As an Italian, I feel a duty to honor someone who elevated the name of our country so highly. Just as a journalist, when faced with a great personality, dedicates a TV special or an in-depth article, I choose to dedicate a film: a complete work capable of telling the story of the man beyond the icon, the Armani behind Armani.”
He continued: “I believe this project represents a source of pride for all Italians and a tribute that the Armani heirs can receive with respect and affection.”
