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We recently learned the third instalment of Ryan Murphy’s American Crime Story will focus in on the 1997 assassination of designer Gianni Versace who was shot dead by a stalker in Miami. Now, it has just been revealed Penelope Cruz will play Gianni’s grieving sister and successor, Donatella, who took over the atelier following the death. It’s an interesting choice given the both women look nothing alike.
Lady Gaga was rumoured to be playing the designer but these reports were shut-down by Murphy in January. Darren Criss (who worked on Glee with Murphy) will play the killer, Andrew Cunanan who, just eight days later, committed suicide as police were on the verge of capturing him.
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Titled Versace: American Crime Story, the series will air in 2018 and detail the events leading up to the murder and will be based on the book Vulgar Favors by Maureen Orth which explores Cunanan’s four additional murders. Fellow designer Julia De Libran, who was working at Versace at the time, remembers the moment well. “That was terrible, such a shock,” remembers de Libran. “My studio was next to his secretaries’ and they started screaming. I can’t explain how bad it was.”
Meanwhile, the creator is reportedly looking to cast an up-and-comer to play White house intern Monica Lewinsky in the potential fourth season of American Crime Story.
Stay tuned.
Donatella and Gianni in 1995, two years prior to his murder.
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