The Gucci family criticize cast of Ridley Scott's House of Gucci
The Gucci family were particularly unimpressed by Al Pacino, who they described as "fat, short, with sideburns"
The Gucci family is not happy about Ridley Scott's upcoming take on their legacy, titled House of Gucci.
The movie, which is currently filming, will center on Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga) and her marriage to Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver). The couple divorced in 1991 and Maurizio Gucci was murdered by a hitman in 1995, with Reggiani later convicted for ordering the assassination.
While the first image from House of Gucci showed Gaga and Driver looking particularly chic, set photos have revealed Al Pacino – playing Aldo Gucci, a key player in growing the Gucci fashion label internationally – with a slight belly, and Jared Leto donning a bald cap and wig while playing Paolo Gucci, creator of the famous double G logo.
In a statement to the Associated Press, Maurizio’s second cousin Patrizia Gucci described Leto as looking "horrible, horrible. I still feel offended." Describing Pacino, she said: "My grandfather was a very handsome man, like all the Guccis, and very tall, blue eyes and very elegant. He is being played by Al Pacino, who is not very tall already, and this photo shows him as fat, short, with sideburns, really ugly. Shameful, because he doesn’t resemble him at all."
The family, she said via The Guardian, was "truly disappointed. I speak on behalf of the family. They are stealing the identity of a family to make a profit, to increase the income of the Hollywood system… Our family has an identity, privacy. We can talk about everything, but there is a borderline that cannot be crossed."
The movie is based on The House of Gucci: a Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour and Greed, a book by Sara Gay Forden. Other cast members include Jeremy Irons, who will play Rodolfo Gucci, Maurizio's father.
House of Gucci currently has a release date of November 24, 2021. In the meantime, check out our list of the best Netflix movies to stream right now.
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Jack Shepherd is the former Senior Entertainment Editor of GamesRadar. Jack used to work at The Independent as a general culture writer before specializing in TV and film for the likes of GR+, Total Film, SFX, and others. You can now find Jack working as a freelance journalist and editor.