Jared Leto to Play Chanel Designer Karl Lagerfeld in Biopic
Academy Award-winner Jared Leto will don the Chanel boots and gloves of the legendary artistic director and fashion designer Karl Lagerfield in an upcoming biopic.
As reported by IndieWire, the actor will produce the film with Emma Ludbrook through their production company Paradox.
"Karl was an artist. Period. He was a fashion designer, he was a photographer, he was an artist. There was no defining him. He was a creative powerhouse," Leto told WWD. "I feel like this is a full-circle moment, and Karl would be proud of what we are doing."
Lagerfeld died in February 2019 at age 85 but his influence on fashion remains legendary and current. Lagerfeld's former fashion house chief executive Pier Paolo Righi, senior vice president of image and communications Caroline Lebar, and Lagerfeld's personal assistant and bodyguard Sébastien Jondeau will reportedly serve as executive producers and provide insight on the late designer.
The film will focus on "key relationships in Karl Lagerfeld's life, told through an unpredictable lens, much like the man himself." A director is not attached to the feature yet.
"There are a multitude of relationships to explore. Karl had a career that spanned 50-plus years, so both personally and professionally he was close to a number of people," Leto said. "I can say we are going to home in on key relationships that convey different parts of his life. My role is to portray him on screen as honestly as possible."
Leto continued, "With celebrity, most people don't get to see under the surface. They see one or two facets of a person as presented through a public lens. Karl was a human being. We all have beauty within us and we all have faults. We have masks and then we have moments when we reveal the mask. I'm always interested in seeing what's behind the mask."
Just in time for the Met Gala, Lagerfeld will be the 2023 theme for the annual event titled "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty."
"When I play a real person, I have an obligation to do my homework and do my best to represent and bring an impression," Leto said. "But I can never be the person."
Something tells us he will get pretty close. Will you be watching?