Ridley Scott’s House Of Gucci movie has not gone down well with the Gucci heirs – and legal action has been threatened.
It was champagne all round at Universal Pictures over the weekend, as Ridley Scott’s latest film – House Of Gucci – became the first drama aimed at an over-18 audience to hit since the pandemic. The box office graveyard has some high profile casualties of late, including Scott’s last film, The Last Duel. Others have also struggled in cinemas, including King Richard and Respect in recent months, films that in any other era would have had a decent stab at some solid numbers.
However, there may yet be trouble ahead for House Of Gucci. Whilst thus far the biggest issue it’s faced appeared to be whether Jared Leto was acting in the same movie as his co-stars, the Gucci family itself is said to be not best pleased. And it’s a family on the well-resourced side of financing.
The Gucci family has gone so far as to publish a statement, declaring its threat of court shenanigans. “The heirs of former Gucci chairman Aldo Gucci on Monday threatened to take legal action against Ridley Scott’s new film, House Of Gucci, for the way the fashion dynasty is depicted in the movie”, it read.
The statement was clear what the main beef with the film was too.
“The family took particular issue with the depiction of Reggiani, ‘a woman definitively convicted of ordering the murder of Maurizio Gucci… as a victim’ both in the movie itself and in statements by cast members”, it thundered. “It also said members of the Gucci family were falsely portrayed as ‘hooligans’ who were ‘ignorant and insensitive to the world that surrounded them’”.
ArrayThe statement was released via the Italian wire service ANSA, and can be read in full here.
The film itself – which stars Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons and Jared Leto – had earlier attracted the ire of the family for existing in the first place.
The film is likely to remain in the headlines for the coming weeks too as it continues its global rollout. Furthermore, there’s the small matter of awards season too, and already there’s been chatter about it attracting the interest of the Academy Awards. Certainly the design of the film seems a shoo-in for an Oscar nomination, and don’t be surprised if Lady Gaga snags a Best Actress nod too.
As for the riposte to the legal threat? Well, it’s all a bit wait and see at the moment. The Gucci heirs haven’t actually filed legal papers to our knowledge, and there’s little that Universal and Ridley Scott need to do before that happens. Don’t be surprised if it all turns out to be a bit of much ado about nothing…
