You don’t have to be a fashion aficionado to appreciate the drama in “House of Gucci.” In fact, most of the film isn’t about fashion at all. It’s about the infamous Italian fashion empire and the Gucci family as it unraveled.
The film is based on a book by Sarah Gay Forden of the same name and tells the true story of the power struggle that rocked the Gucci family from the 1970s to the mid-1990s. Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga) had a passionate yet turbulent marriage to Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver) before he eventually divorced her. Reggiani was ultimately tried and convicted of orchestrating her ex-husband’s murder.
Driver tells NBC audiences might be surprised to learn just how much drama was going on behind the scenes in the Gucci family.
Get San Diego local news, weather forecasts, sports and lifestyle stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC San Diego newsletters.
“Percentages and stocks and board meetings, and back stabbing and contracts signed,” Driver said. “It’s really rich. I think what is relatable and what might be surprising…you get the sense that if they just had better communication that this all could have been avoided.”
The list of Academy Award nominees and winners starring in this film is a mile long including Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Jared Leto, Jeremy Irons and Al Pacino. Add to that the highly anticipated Gucci looks worn by Lady Gaga and Ridley Scott’s rich directing style and you have a recipe for box office gold.
Jared Leto is virtually unrecognizable as Paolo Gucci, Maurizio’s well-meaning but somewhat bafoonish cousin. Leto leans into the comedy in his character, which gives the movie some welcome moments of levity.
“I felt that it was important to bring out as much humor as we could,” Leto tells NBC. “So we did lots of improvisation, lots of ad-libbing. And that created a lot of spontaneity.”
U.S. & World
Driver confirmed he and Lady Gaga also included a lot of improv in their scenes.
“With this group of actors, everyone was so playful, so prepared and so available,” Driver said. “Everyone was at the tip of their feet.”
Gaga reportedly stayed in character for 9 months while working on this film. And almost the entire cast puts on their best Italian accent to strut their stuff across the big screen.
“House of Gucci” opens in theaters Nov. 24.
