After Glee, American Horror Stories and Scream Queens, Ryan Murphy is the director of The Assassination of Gianni Versace, the second season of the FX true crime anthology television series American Crime Story. The season is based on the book Vulgar Favors written by the American journalist Maureen Orth on the life of Andrew Cunanan, the serial killer who is responsible for Versace’s death. The official version of the murder is that Andrew Cunanangunned down Gianni Versace on the steps of his Miami Beach mansion on the morning of July 15, 1997.

Many points are disputed by the public concerning the truth and the liability of how is the story portrayed. For example, there is no real evidence that Gianni Versace knows Andrew Cunanan before the murder, even if in the book is reported that they met in 1990 when Versace was in San Francisco doing costumes for the opera Capriccio. 

Also, the Versace family responds and distances itself from the show in an official statement as follows: “Since Versace did not authorize the book on which it is partly based nor has it taken part in the writing of the screenplay, this TV series should only be considered as a work of fiction.”

In fact, the protagonist (which seems to be two rather than one) share the same past experiences with his murder: the story talks about Versace’s childhood in Calabria in parallel with Cunanan’s genial attitude. This sort of double-side of the medal, the light (Gianni Versace) and the shadow (Andrew Cunanan) seems to clarify and justify at the same time the serial killer’s obsessive attitudes, which maybe is not the real interpretation of their possible relationship. 

Concerning the most practical elements in making the movie, the costume designer Lou Eyrich did not receive any support from Versace family, even in designing the costumes, she says: “We were cautious to make it look as amazing as it could to honor the house of Versace and Donatella, so we tried to use the best silk, and when we used safety pins as a decorative element, we had them plated in gold.“

The problems were not limited only on a more fashion level, but on the casting too. Penelope Cruz who plays Donatella Versace‘s role had asked directly to the sister of Versace the permission. The discussion went well for the actress, who also received flowers from Donatella. “It was a conversation where I cannot share everything we talked about, but we have a good relationship,” she revealed. “She’s such a loving person, so I wanted to put out there the love and respect I have for her. It’s in my performance for sure, and I hope that when she sees, she will be happy about it.”