Ryan Murphy’s upcoming Versace: American Crime Story has cast Penélope Cruz to play fashion empire heiress Donatella Versace.
The exponentially expanding array of prestige anthology television from Ryan Murphy is already deep into far-ahead plans, judging by the latest cast acquisition. While the Hurricane Katrina-centric follow-up iteration to Murphy’s acclaimed 2016 FX anthology series American Crime Story is circling a premiere date, the 2018-set third iteration has just procured an Oscar winner to play its central character in Penélope Cruz.
It has been revealed (via Variety) that 2018’s Versace: American Crime Story will be headlined by Penélope Cruz. With the anthology series’ third iteration centering on the Versace fashion empire in the wake of the 1997 Miami Beach murder of founder Gianni Versace, Cruz will play the role of younger sister Donatella Versace, who subsequently became the face of the international fashion house. Cruz’s Donatella will be the series protagonist, dealing with the aftermath of the tragedy and tasked with filling some colossally couture shoes. Edgar Ramirez (Hands of Stone, The Girl on the Train) will play the martyred Gianni, with Darren Criss (Glee, American Horror Story) set to play his disturbed assailant Andrew Cunanan.
While Penélope Cruz represents quite the casting coup for Ryan Murphy’s anthologies, it apparently came about after the originally considered pop star and American Horror Story: Hotel cast member Lady Gaga was too busy with touring. Cruz joins elite brand peers with Murphy's currently-running biographically-based anthology Feud brandishing Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange playing, respectively, aging and antagonistic big screen sirens Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. Cruz won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2009 for her role in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, also notably appearing in last year’s Zoolander 2, 2011’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, 2001’s Blow and a career breakthrough opposite Tom Cruise in 2001’s Vanilla Sky.
Versace: American Crime Story will see screenwriter Rom Rob Smith (Child 44, London Spy) episodically adapt Maureen Orth’s 1999 book Vulgar Favors, also serving as an executive producer alongside Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Brad Falchuk, and, of course, the brand’s primary visionary in Ryan Murphy.
Versace: American Crime Story is expected to big production next month, with a premiere on FX set for 2018. However, its second season predecessor, starring Annette Benning as the Hurricane Katrina-embattled Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, will reportedly also mark its premiere in 2018, thus designating Versace for later that year.