©Courtesy of George Armani

The upcoming biopic by Bille August about Giorgio Armani is facing an ethical challenge. The film, titled “Armani: The King of Fashion“, will be produced by Andrea Iervolino, it was announced yesterday. Designer Armani passed away in September 2025.

The Armani family has released a statement stating they are not associated with the movie and have not authorized its existence (Deadline). The Armani Group said in a statement, “While aware of the existence of Andrea Iervolino & Bille August’s project, The Armani Group has never been involved in the initiative, nor has it authorized, supported, endorsed, or participated in its development or production. The company therefore considers itself entirely unrelated to the project and dissociates itself from both the director and the content of the project.”

Even though the Armani Group is isolating itself from the film, it won’t be the first time a Hollywood biopic has been made without explicit authorization from the subject’s estate. “The Apprentice“, with Sebastian Stan playing Donald Trump, received a public criticism from the U.S. President. Similarly, the 2022 series “Pam & Tommy“, focusing on Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, was produced without obtaining consent from its subjects. Ridley Scott’s “House of Gucci“, much like the upcoming Armani biopic, was made without the Gucci family’s cooperation.

In the upcoming months, “The Social Reckoning“, alongside its spiritual predecessor, “The Social Network“, which was produced without Mark Zuckerberg’s permission, will be released.

It is uncertain if Armani Group’s position will effect biopic’s launch or secure its production and release.