Jared Leto to play Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld in yet another fashion house biopic

Jessica Wang
·2 min read
Jared Leto to play Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld in yet another fashion house biopic

Jared Leto is trading in his Guccis for some Chanel.

The House of Gucci star and fashion muse will play Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld in an upcoming biopic, one he will also produce alongside partner Emma Ludbrook via their production company. A storyline remains under wraps, but it will dive into the key relationships in the late designer's life, "told through an unpredictable lens, much like the man himself," according to Women's Wear Daily, which first broke the news.

"There are a multitude of relationships to explore," Leto told WWD. "Karl had a career that spanned 50-plus years, so both personally and professionally he was close to a number of people. I can say we are going to home in on key relationships that convey different parts of his life."

The film has the approval of the Karl Lagerfeld company, and Leto will collaborate with the designer's most trusted confidants, who have been tapped as executive producers: Pier Paolo Righi, chief executive officer of the Karl Lagerfeld house; Caroline Lebar, senior vice president of image and communications of the design house; and Sébastien Jondeau, longtime personal assistant and bodyguard to the designer, who died in 2019 at 85.

Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld and Actor Jared Leto pose backstage after the Chanel show as part of Paris Fashion Week - Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2014-2015. Held at Grand Palais on July 8, 2014 in Paris, France.
Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld and Actor Jared Leto pose backstage after the Chanel show as part of Paris Fashion Week - Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2014-2015. Held at Grand Palais on July 8, 2014 in Paris, France.

Rindoff/Dufour/Getty Images Karl Lagerfeld and Jared Leto

Righi said several Hollywood producers have approached the company throughout the years in hopes of collaborating on a Lagerfeld film, but "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," the CEO said. "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."

Leto has been more closely associated with Italian fashion house Gucci in recent years, serving as a muse for creative director Alessandro Michele. The two turned heads at the Met Gala in May when they showed up fully twinning in matching suits for this year's controversial "Gilded Glamour" theme. The moment came after revelers confused self-proclaimed "fashion addict" and "creative dictator" Fredrik Robertsson as the Oscar winner on the red carpet, setting the stage for three Jared Letos at the gala.

The actor also recently portrayed the late Paolo Gucci in 2021's House of Gucci alongside Lady Gaga. Leto's other film credits include Dallas Buyers Club, Morbius, Blade Runner 2049, and Suicide Squad. He also headlined the miniseries WeCrashed opposite Anne Hathaway.

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