Jared Leto has been cast in a biopic about acclaimed German fashion designer, Karl Lagerfeld. The Oscar-winning actor is set to play the late designer and co-produce the film with Lagerfeld’s House of Karl Lagerfeld. Leto will produce the movie alongside his partner, Emma Ludbrook, through their production company Paradox, Women’s War Daily is reporting.
The late fashion icon’s trusted confidants, Pier Paolo Righi, Caroline Lebar and Sébastien Jondeau, will also serve as executive producers on the biopic. The three are producing the film after working with Lagerfeld and his fashion company for decades.
Lebar was an advisor for both Lagerfeld’s brand and personal communications for over 35 years. Righi has served as CEO for the fashion designer’s brand for over 10 years. Jondeau spent 20 years as Lagerfeld’s personal assistant and bodyguard, and currently serves as a Style Consultant for the brand.
“Karl has always been an inspiration to me,” Leto said while discussing the late designer. “He was a true polymath, an artist, an innovator, a leader and, most importantly, a kind man. 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.”
It hasn’t yet been revealed what the movie’s main storyline will be, but it will reportedly cover the important relationships in Lagerfeld’s life. It also hasn’t yet been revealed when production will start on the biopic. However, the producers are currently discussing the project with potential filmmakers, particularly what the plotline will focus on.
“My role is to portray him on screen as honestly as possible,” Leto said about his portrayal of Lagerfeld in the movie. “With celebrity, most people don’t get to see under the surface. They see one or two facets of a person as presented through a public lens. Karl was a human being. We all have beauty within us and we all have faults. We have masks and then we have moments when we reveal the mask. I’m always interested in seeing what’s behind the mask.”
Leto also hinted that he’s already begun researching for his performance as Lagerfeld. “It’s an exciting part of the process. You start at the beginning and try to learn everything you can,” the actor said. “I’m grateful to be doing this with an outstanding group of people who were incredibly close to Karl for many years of his life.”
While discussing the biopic, Righi also said: “Over the years, we have been approached by several Hollywood producers who suggested to partner on a movie about Karl’s iconic life.
“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,” the producer added.
Lagerfeld died in February 2019. In the wake of his passing, he continues to be considered to be of the most fascinating and celebrated creatives of the century.
This past Friday, September 30, Anna Wintor, the Chief Content Officer & Global Editorial Director of Vogue, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced the theme of the 2023 Costume Institute Exhibition and Met Gala will be Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty. Dedicated to Lagerfeld’s iconic six-decade career, the exhibition will explore his creative process, the evolution of his designs and his everlasting impact on fashion.
In recent years Leto has also been closely associated with Italian fashion house Gucci. He attended the Met Ball last May as creative director Alessandro Michele’s plus-one, and the two even dressed like twins.
“I’ve worked with Gucci and Alessandro for about seven years now, and continue to. It is an incredible partnership and a beautiful friendship with Alessandro and the entire Gucci team,” Leto shared. “Alessandro actually worked with Karl for about five years at Fendi and always has had the kindest things to say about him.”