Daniel Brühl Will Play Karl Lagerfeld in Disney+’s “Kaiser Karl” Series

Daniel Brühl is a chameleon, able to disappear into roles, and now he’ll be stepping into the polished boots and high, starched collar of the larger-than-life fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld.

Brühl is set to star in Disney+’s Kaiser Karl, a new series that will focus on the fashion icon’s life in Paris in the 1970s, before he was an icon, when he was first trying to break into the fashion world. The series is based on Raphaëlle Bacqué’s eponymous biography of Lagerfeld, and was adapted for the screen by Bacqué, Isaure Pisani-Ferry (Kaboul Kitchen), and Jennifer Have (The Red Band Society). Pisani-Ferry led the writing team and is credited as co-writer on all the scripts with Have, Dominique Baumard (The Bureau—one of the best spy series ever, by the way), and Nathalie Hertzberg (Farewell, De Gaulle, Farewell).

Lagerfeld was born in Germany and ultimately went on to become one of the most recognizable figures in the fashion world for decades. His signature look—white hair, black sunglasses, and those high, starched collars—was a part of the fashion firmament. His highest profile job was as creative director for the French fashion house Chanel, which he held from 1983 until his death in 2019.

Brühl will be sharing the screen with performers playing some of the most crucial and formative people in Lagerfeld’s life and the fashion world in general. Arnaud Valois will play Yves Saint Laurent, and Alex Lutz will play Pierre Bergé, two of Lagerfeld’s rivals. Théodore Pellerin is playing Lagerfeld’s romantic partner Jacques de Bascher. And Agnés Jaoui is playing Gaby Aghion, founder of the Chloé fashion brand, credited with being one of the first people to see major potential in the then-unknown fashion designer.

The six-part series will be produced by Gaumont and Jour Premier for Disney+ France, with Jérôme Salle (Totems) and Audrey Estrougo (upcoming Disney+ series Tout va bien), and is currently shooting in France, Monaco, and Italy.

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Featured image: ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – SEPTEMBER 23: Daniel Brühl attends the premiere of “Im Westen nichts Neues” during the 18th Zurich Film Festival at Kongresshaus on September 23, 2022 in Zurich, Switzerland. (Photo by Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images for ZFF)

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