Penélope Cruz to Play Donatella Versace in Third Season of American Crime Story

Oscar winner Penélope Cruz, longtime collaborator of Pedro Almodóvar with roles in films as wide-ranging as Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Vicky Cristina Barcelona, has been cast as fashion designer Donatella Versace in the forthcoming third season of American Crime Story.

Last year, it was announced that the follow-up to the hugely popular The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story and the second, Hurricane Katrina-centered installment will be a true-crime dramatization of the events surrounding the 1997 murder of fashion titan Gianni Versace by Andrew Cunanan. Both the second and third seasons are slated to air in 2018.

Also tied to the project are Edgar Ramirez and Darren Criss, who have signed on to play Gianni and Cunanan, respectively, and of course executive producer Ryan Murphy, whose impressive writing and directing credits include American Horror Story, Glee and Nip/Tuck, in addition to new anthology series Feud and The People v. O.J. Simpson. The third season, titled Versace/Cunanan: American Crime Story, is based on the Maureen Orth book Vulgar Favors.

Stay tuned for more updates on the development of this highly anticipated project, and if you haven’t watched the first season of American Crime Story yet, the whole thing is available to stream on Netflix.