Ridley Scott appears to be using his newfound downtime during the COVID-19 pandemic to make a deal with MGM for a new film that was reported about last year.
According to THR, Scott has worked out a deal with MGM to direct a film titled “Gucci,” which will feature Lady Gaga in a lead role. As you might guess from the title of the film, “Gucci” is a true-crime drama about the life and death of fashion designer Maurizio Gucci. Gaga is set to star as Patrizia Reggiani, Gucci’s ex-wife, who was convicted of putting out a hit on the fashion designer after his infidelity. The report claims that MGM beat out other competitors, such as Netflix, for the deal, with a guaranteed theatrical distribution being a big selling point.
“This project has long been a labor of love for both Ridley and me,” said producer Giannina Scott. “The story is so epic, the stakes so high and the characters so richly drawn that we were determined to get it to the big screen. To say we are thrilled to be teaming with Mike De Luca and his brilliant film group at MGM is an understatement. We can’t wait to see this come to life next year.”
“Nothing typifies bold, audacious originality more than a film by Ridley Scott,” said MGM film chairman Michael De Luca. “All of us at MGM are incredibly excited to be in business with Ridley, Giannina, Kevin and the whole team at Scott Free.”
As alluded to, Scott has a bit of free time right now, as does most of the film industry, thanks to the global pandemic. He was in the middle of shooting his period thriller, “The Last Duel,” but that film has been put on hiatus while the virus runs its course. It’s expected that the filmmaker will begin work on “Gucci” once he finishes his obligations to “The Last Duel.”
