Gina Gershon, who you might know from P.S. I Love You or from her few appearances in Ugly Betty, has been chosen to play Donatella Versace in a new T.V. biopic. The Hollywood Reporter broke the story last week that Gina will star in House of Versace, based on the book by Wall Street Journal reporter Deborah Balls, House of Versace: The Untold Story of Genius, Murder, and Survival.
Fashionista has said that they think Gershon is a surprising choice to play that “uber tan, ice blonde designer”. But then again, who would have thought timid Michelle Williams could play Marilyn Monroe as well as she did? Movie magic can make anyone look like anyone, so we trust that Gina is the right choice.
We can’t wait to see it! The biopic will start with Donatella in 1997, after her brother was murdered, when she was forced into the limelight to take over her brother’s fashion empire. We’ll watch her go through the problems she faced in this early era of bankruptcy, drug addiction and ridicule by the world’s press. But every story needs a happy ending, right? After a stint in rehab, and supported by her family, Donatella returns to build the global fashion name that we all know and love.
House of Versace will air on October 5th at 8pm on Lifetime and is followed by an hour long documentary about Gianni, called Versace: Beyond the Headlines. This looks at Gianni’s start in the fashion industry and his rise in a tough industry and notes that his rise continued long after his tragic death. Amazingly, the documentary will also include interviews with those who knew him, designers and even a criminologist who will offer his opinion on his death. It looks like the documentary might be as good as the biopic!
The telepic also stars Enrico Colantoni as Donatella’s late brother Gianni Versace, Colm Feore as their older brother Santo, and Raquel Welch as their Aunt Lucia.