Daniel Bruhl was spotted for the first time portraying the legendary fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld for the upcoming Disney+ series Kaiser Karl. The Spanish-German actor, who also plays Baron Helmut Zemo in several Marvel projects, transformed into the late German icon, as he embraced Karl’s penchant for a dapper suit and a sleek ponytail while filming in Rome on Friday, May 19.
Looking exactly like the late artist who helmed Chanel, Fendi, and his own eponymous brand, Daniel appeared completely absorbed in filming his scene in the gorgeous Italian city. With a stern look on his face, the All Quiet on the Western Front star waved his hand and crossed in front of a vintage car for the shot.
The series is set in Paris in the 1970s when Lagerfeld was breaking into the French fashion scene. According to its log line, Kaiser Karl will chronicle a 38-year-old Lagerfeld “aspiring to become the most famous French fashion designer, at a time when Yves Saint Laurent reigned supreme,” per Variety. The six-part series headed for Disney + , which also stars Arnaud Valois as Yves Saint Laurent, was also described as “full of clan rivalries and ego battles, partying and decadence, tragic love affairs and magnificent friendships, this is the story of Kaiser Karl, and his frantic quest for recognition.”
Shooting is currently underway in France and Monaco as well, according to Variety. The film is being directed by Jérôme Salle and Audrey Estrougo, while Isaure Pisani-Ferry wrote the script with help from Raphaëlle Bacqué, the author of the 2019 biography Kaiser Karl: The Life of Karl Lagerfeld, on which the Disney + series is based.
As fans know, Lagerfeld, who died in February 2019 at the age of 85, has been in the spotlight as of late, as the 2023 Met Gala just honored him. And Jared Leto paid tribute in a unique way by donning a full catsuit for the event, dressing as the late designer’s kitten Choupette.
The tribute was on point, as Leto will also be portraying the designer in an upcoming big screen biopic, per Deadline. “Karl has always been an inspiration to me,” Leto said in a statement when the casting was announced. “When we came together with the Karl Lagerfeld team, we immediately shared a creative vision of doing a respectful ode to Karl while pushing the artistic boundaries of what a biopic can be.”