The First Look At ‘American Crime Story: Versace’ Is Glorious, Glossy Trash

After the critical success of American Crime Story: The People vs O.J. Simpson — which was the perfect blend of signature Ryan Murphy madness and grizzly true-crime reportage — I think we were all waiting to see how Murphy would send his nascent concept off the rails. He certainly has a track record for it.

Originally, the word was the O.J. season would be followed by a series on Hurricane Katrina, which honestly sounded a little mawkish even for Murphy. But Murphy has since bumped the Katrina series for the cumbersomely titled The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.

The new season will track the infamous ’90s murder of fashion mogul Gianni Versace, and we’ve just got our first look via Entertainment Weekly. The first cast photos are just solid. gold. content.

Folks, I have three words for you: Ricky Martin’s package.

Sure, his actual package is hidden behind a strategically draped Versace robe, but you know that underneath is the goods. And those goods are impressive. Martin joins a pretty fabulously assembled cast as Antonio D’Amico, a fashion model most famous for being Gianni Versace’s partner.

Martin is really rocking that chiselled from marble look, like, if we’re being honest here. His body is rocking. Looking at this pic I am truly living la vida loca.

He also knows how to do petulant puppy lover eyes right at the camera, as is evidenced by his extreme look in the EW cover image, clasping hands with Edgar Ramirez’s Gianni. (PS, let’s not delve too deeply into why so many Latinx actors are playing a famous Italian-American family.)

But trust me when I tell you that Ricky Martin is not the only camp joy to be found in the ACS: Versace spread. Allow me to present to you Platinum Blonde Penelope Cruz and her beefy, mostly naked butlers:

That look Cruz is serving just proves exactly why she is the ideal choice to play the infamous fashionista Donatella, sister to the murdered Gianni and current reigning queen of the Versace empire. EW also gave us a divine little glimpse of Cruz’s performance to show us the woman can give that dramatic grieving sister stance.

Then there’s the sad, beautiful (so beautiful) face of young Darren Criss, Glee alum and one of Murphy’s preferred boy-toy actors, who is playing serial killer Andrew Cunanan, Versace’s murderer. Look. At. His. Sad. (Murdery.) Face.

Cunanan became infamous for several serial murders he committed over a three-month period in 1997. Versace was his final victim, shot to death on the steps of his Miami mansion. Cunanan used the gun with which he murdered Versace to commit suicide eight days later.

D’Amico recently broke his long silence on the incident, describing to NBC’s Dateline how, “[he] heard the shot”. “My heart just stopped to beat. So I ran out and then I saw Gianni laying down on the stairs in blood.”

It’s clear the Versace story has everything you could want from a Ryan Murphy project, and more — scorching hot sex, gruesome murder, camp family feuds and outrageous fashion.

The new series is slated to air in early-to-mid-2018. Roll on, American Crime Story: Versace, I say.

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Featured image: Alexei Hay/Entertainment Weekly

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