Ewan McGregor has been quite busy as of late, and he’s now getting started on his upcoming Disney+ limited series, Obi-Wan Kenobi, which will see him reprise his role as the fan-favorite Jedi. Work is now just getting started but, ahead of the highly anticipated show, McGregor has another series that’s on the way -- Netflix’s Halston. The series centers on the life of the iconic fashion designer of the same name, and McGregor is playing the lead role. However, the show has now been hit with a key criticism shortly before its release.
Netflix’s Halston appears to be taking a deep dive into the businessman’s life and career, but it would seem that the show was produced without speaking with the late designer’s family. In a statement released by the Halston Family Archives (via PR Newswire), Roy Halston’s family asserts that they were never consulted for the upcoming show:
The HALSTON Archives and Family were not consulted on the upcoming Netflix series involving an inaccurate, fictionalized account of famed fashion designer, Halston. The HALSTON Archives remains the only definitive and comprehensive source on the man and his legacy as the personally appointed custodian of his private papers and effects.
The statement is pretty direct when it comes to the Halston family’s thoughts on the upcoming miniseries. Instead, they seem to prefer that anyone looking to learn more about Roy Halston use the HALSTON ARCHIVES as their primary source of information.
Legendary and Killer Films originally announced a Roy Halston miniseries back in 2019 and stated that it would be based on Steven Gaines’ 1991 novel Simply Halston: The Untold Story. By that time, Ewan McGregor was already attached to play the titular role, while The Affar’s Shar White and American Crime Story’s Dan Minahan had signed as writer and director, respectively. That same year TV titan Ryan Murphy was also revealed to have joined as an executive producer, and it was reported that the show would be ordered by Netflix under Murphy’s overall deal.
For those who aren’t familiar with him, Roy Halston -- known mononymously as Halston -- was a renowned fashion mogul whose work was widely acclaimed during the 1970s. As a result, Halston became a high-profile celebrity, mingling with the likes of Andy Warhol and Liza Minnelli at Studio 54. Halston died from cancer at the age of 57 in 1990.
This wouldn’t be the first time a late celebrity’s family has disapproved of a production based on their life. 2019’s Tolkien, centered on the life of the late Lord of the Rings and Hobbit author, did not earn the approval of the writer’s family. And more recently, Lady Gaga and Adam Driver’s upcoming Gucci film received some less-than-positive thoughts from heir Patrizia Gucci.
It remains to be seen just how faithful Halston is to the life of its subject, but viewers and admirers of the man are sure to share their thoughts when it arrives. The show drops on Netflix this Friday, May 14.
