Bille August is set to direct Armani: The King of Fashion, a biopic about the late Giorgio Armani.
The legendary fashion designed died in September in Milan at 91, and August has been tapped by Italian producer Andrea Iervolino to chronicle the life of the fashion giant and cultural icon from Italy. August won the Palme d’Or twice at the Cannes Film Festival and is known for movies like Pelle the Conqueror; The Best Intentions, written by Ingmar Bergman; The House of the Spirits; Les Misérables; Night Train to Lisbon; and A Fortunate Man.
“There are directors who make great films, and there are directors who possess the rare ability to reveal the humanity behind greatness. Bille August belongs to that extraordinary category. His work is distinguished by elegance, emotional intelligence and a remarkable respect for the lives he portrays. Those qualities perfectly mirror Giorgio Armani‘s own values: refinement, authenticity, vision and timeless excellence,” Iervolino said in a statement.
Born in Piacenza, Italy in 1934, Armani started his career as a window dresser, then became the tailoring protege to famed Italian menswear designer Nino Cerutti. In 1975, Armani co-founded his eponymous company with his partner, Italian architect Sergio Galeotti.
As a cinephile and designer, Armani had a long association with Hollywood, including work on 1980’s American Gigolo starring Richard Gere, the Leonardo DiCaprio-starrer The Wolf of Wall Street and Kevin Costner’s 1930s-era drama The Untouchables.
There’s no word on casting for Armani: The King of Fashion. The Andrea Iervolino Company has recent credits like Ferrari, directed by Michael Mann and starring Adam Driver and Penélope Cruz, and Maserati: The Brothers, directed by Bobby Moresco and starring Al Pacino, Anthony Hopkins, Andy Garcia, Jessica Alba, Michele Morrone and Salvatore Esposito.
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