Leonardo DiCaprio & Angelina Jolie were the original choices to star in House of Gucci

Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci opened last month to mixed reviews. The film, which stars Lady Gaga and Adam Driver, had been in development for over a decade, with the earliest news about it emerging in 2006. When House of Gucci was first announced, Angelina Jolie and Leonardo DiCaprio were intended to be its leading actors.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Ridley Scott — Leonardo DiCaprio, who worked with Ridley Scott on Body of Lies, was the original choice to be the lead actor in House of Gucci.

The pair would have played the dysfunctional duo of Patrizia Reggiani and Maurizio Gucci. However, production stalled and the two went on to complete different projects. This is the second botched onscreen collaboration between the two actors, after Jolie turned down the role of Ava Gardner in The Aviator.

Elsewhere in the timeline of House of Gucci‘s development, Ridley Scott handed over the directorial duties to his daughter, Jordan Scott. At this point, Penélope Cruz was attached to star as Reggiani. Further down the line, Hong Kong filmmaer Wong Kar-wai replaced the younger Scott in the director’s seat, with Margot Robbie set to play the leading lady. Ultimately, Ridley Scott returned to the project in 2019, leading to the beautiful mess we see onscreen today.

Another actor once attached to the film was none other than Robert De Niro, who left the project in late 2020. De Niro was set to play Rodolfo Gucci, a role that ultimately went to Jeremy Irons, who handled the role less than fantastically.

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