Back in January, 45 Years director Andrew Haigh signed on to direct a new film about fashion designer Alexander McQueen. Now we know that Jack O'Connell will be portraying McQueen on screen.
Pathé is backing this one, which has a script by Chris Urch that primarily draws from Andrew Wilson's biography of the man, Blood Beneath The Skin.
McQueen, the working class son of a taxi driver, won an apprenticeship on Saville Row and rose through the ranks quickly to become head designer at Givenchy. With a client list that included Prince Charles and David Bowie, he became known for signature styles and gained enough clout to launch his own eponymous label in 2004. But he was also a turbulent and troubled genius, who became increasingly dependent on drugs and suffered a string of failed relationships. The death of his mother in 2010 hit him particularly hard, and he committed suicide. The film which doesn't yet have an official title, will explore McQueen's creative process through the months leading up to a famous 2009 show. Which makes us think it'll hew more towards the likes of Steve Jobs than a straight biopic.
Haigh should have the cameras rolling this spring ready for a late 2017 release. O'Connell, who was last on our screens in Money Monster, has worked on World War II drama HHhH and is starring in TV Western series Godless.