The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story stars, from left, Ricky Martin (Antonio DAmico), Darren Criss (Cunanan) and Edgar Ramirez (Versace). (Photo by Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup, courtesy FX Network)

For the upcoming television series The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, executive producer/director Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story, Feud: Bette and Joan, The People vs. O.J. Simpson) has set out to tell the story of Andrew Cunanan, the spree-killing sociopath who murdered the late fashion designer on the steps of his mansion 20 years ago.

I think the thing about American Crime Story is that were not just doing sort of a crime, Murphy said at the Television Critics Press Tour. Were trying to talk about a crime within a social idea. And this was always interesting to us because the idea was that Versace, who was [Cunanans] last victim, really did not have to die.

What gets discussed in the series is homophobiawhich Murphy notes, was how Cunanan was able to successfully make his way across the U.S. and kill these victims, many of whom were gay.

Homophobia, particularly within the various police organizations that refused in Miami to put up wanted posters, even though they knew that Andrew Cunanan had probably committed many of these murders and was probably headed that way, all of which we deal with in the show. I thought that that was a really interesting thing to examine, to look at again, particularly with the president we have and the world that we live in.

The series is based on a book by Maureen Orth, called Vulgar Favors, which indicated that Cunanan had HIV, though publicly, this was disputed by the family.

About that time period and the stigma surrounding HIV, Murphy said: You could literally lose your business, lose everything that you had. You could be fired. This company that Versace had was about to go public, and he was terrified of anything coming out negative about his personal life. We delve into that in the show.

Murphy continued: It was a huge thing to announce that [Versace] was gay and out of the closet, which he did in an interview. So all of that has a ripple effectthe Versaces will like some of what we do, and some of it they will be uncomfortable about.I dont think there should be any stigma or shame attached to HIV at allAnd I think there really was, and we address that head on.

With period pieces like Versace and the Emmy nominated, Feud, which profiles the behind-the-scenes rivalry of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford on the set of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, Murphy feels obligated to be accurate with all the details.

To that end, FX recreated the former Miami home of the late fashion designer, which has since been turned into a $1,000+ a night hotel. Earlier this year, the castRicky Martin, who plays Antonio DAmico, Versaces longtime partner, Penelope Cruz, (Donatella, Versaces sister) Darren Criss (Cunanan) and Edgar Ramirezwent on location; Versaces bedroom and closets that he personally created will be among the scenes in the film.

We were lucky enough to be able to get inside there and film in thatIt was really an amazing opportunity to be able to go in there. We did a tremendous amount of research, down to the backpack that Cunanan had, and what was his shoelace like. And that, to me, is one of the joys of the work, to really get it right. I think we did get it right with this show, because we cared. We wanted to do honor to him.

While Versaces former lover, Antonio, initially expressed concern about the series, Murphy indicated that he has had a change of heart.

Ricky [Martin] spoke to him today, and he was very great and excited to talk to Ricky. My point of view about that is I think its very hard to judge anything that youre watching based on a paparazzi photograph, which is apparently what his judgment was about. And I think when youre doing a show like this, or a show like O.J., youre not doing a documentary. Youre doing a docudrama. So theres always certain things you take liberty with, particularly, and the movement of wanting to move toward something emotional, at least for me.

In the series, Edgar Ramirez plays Versace, a complicated character that changed the world of fashion.

For the first time, [Versace] combined sexiness and glamour and opulence, like no one has ever done before. He could see the sexiness of the 70s, and then all the opulence of the 80s, and he sensed that in the 90s. He combined it, and everybody went crazy, Ramirez noted.

He added: Its very interesting how the story captures not only a very dramatic, amazing story that needs to be told, but how it captures the spirit of the time. Its something that also has a lot to do with Ryans work. And Im a huge fan of thatmovies, products, content that not also tell compelling stories, but also capture the zeitgeist and the spirit of the time that speak about greater subjects going on in society.

See the article here:

Andrew Cunanan gets his close up, 20 years later - Los Angeles Blade - Los Angeles Blade