With most films currently being delayed/halted from production and studios looking more toward streaming platforms for their new releases, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer continues to make major moves behind the scenes to push ahead with its theatrical projects.
One such project is the newly-acquired Ridley Scott true-crime pic, Gucci, which details the life and (perhaps more importantly) murder of fashion-honcho, Maurizio Gucci. Lady Gaga was confirmed to be in talks last November for the role of Gucci’s ex-wife, Patrizia Reggiani, who was later convicted of hiring a hitman to avenge her husband’s infidelities.
Scott Free, the production house run by Ridley and his wife Giannina Scott (co-founded with late brother, director Tony Scott) was keen on a big theatrical release for this project, and part of the deal made with MGM allows for this to happen (one could imagine them trying a similar theatrical-to-streaming template used for Scorsese’s The Irishman, to great success/acclaim).
This pragmatic decision (among others) from MGM came after a major executive shakeup back in January that found Michael De Luca as chairman of the company’s film division, after the dust settled.
It would seem to be a huge dice-roll for a studio that’s already taken a major financial hit from having to delay the April release of No Time to Die to November. This is especially painful, since the James Bond franchise is one of the biggest cash-cows in the studio’s legendary IP.
Gucci (title thankfully shortened from the book that it’s based on: The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Glamour, and Greed by Sara Gay Forden) has a somewhat optimistically set November 24, 2021 release date, and the murderous/glamorous Patrizia Reggiani will (likely) be Lady Gaga’s first film role since her Oscar-nominated turn in 2018’s A Star Is Born.
Ridley Scott is expected to start production on Gucci after he’s finished shooting on his currently halted Ben Affleck/Matt Damon/Adam Driver-starring period-piece sword-epic, The Last Duel.
Will MGM’s theatrical gamble pay off for the movie-giant that gave us The Wizard of Oz, or are such hopes (forgive me) gone with the wind?
More on this soon from The Sleuth!
One such project is the newly-acquired Ridley Scott true-crime pic, Gucci, which details the life and (perhaps more importantly) murder of fashion-honcho, Maurizio Gucci. Lady Gaga was confirmed to be in talks last November for the role of Gucci’s ex-wife, Patrizia Reggiani, who was later convicted of hiring a hitman to avenge her husband’s infidelities.
Scott Free, the production house run by Ridley and his wife Giannina Scott (co-founded with late brother, director Tony Scott) was keen on a big theatrical release for this project, and part of the deal made with MGM allows for this to happen (one could imagine them trying a similar theatrical-to-streaming template used for Scorsese’s The Irishman, to great success/acclaim).
This pragmatic decision (among others) from MGM came after a major executive shakeup back in January that found Michael De Luca as chairman of the company’s film division, after the dust settled.
It would seem to be a huge dice-roll for a studio that’s already taken a major financial hit from having to delay the April release of No Time to Die to November. This is especially painful, since the James Bond franchise is one of the biggest cash-cows in the studio’s legendary IP.
Gucci (title thankfully shortened from the book that it’s based on: The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Glamour, and Greed by Sara Gay Forden) has a somewhat optimistically set November 24, 2021 release date, and the murderous/glamorous Patrizia Reggiani will (likely) be Lady Gaga’s first film role since her Oscar-nominated turn in 2018’s A Star Is Born.
Ridley Scott is expected to start production on Gucci after he’s finished shooting on his currently halted Ben Affleck/Matt Damon/Adam Driver-starring period-piece sword-epic, The Last Duel.
Will MGM’s theatrical gamble pay off for the movie-giant that gave us The Wizard of Oz, or are such hopes (forgive me) gone with the wind?
More on this soon from The Sleuth!