House of Gucci: Jared Leto is unrecognisable in fat suit and prosthetics in first poster for Lady Gaga film

Gucci descendant previously condemned Leto’s casting as ‘horrible, horrible’

Jared Leto has left fans startled after sharing the first look at his appearance in the new Lady Gaga film House of Gucci.

The Oscar-winner plays Paolo Gucci, the former vice president and managing director of Gucci, in the forthcoming thriller. The Ridley Scott-directed film stars Gaga as the glamorous felon Patrizia Reggiani, who served 16 years in prison for arranging the murder of her husband Maurizio Gucci, who is played by Adam Driver.

Today (29 July), Leto unveiled his official character poster for the film on Twitter, in the process revealing that he wears a fat suit, facial prosthetics and a bald cap to play Paolo.

“HOLY F***!” tweeted one person. “Oscar for the makeup department, now.”

“That’s a helluva transformation,” wrote someone else.

Leto’s casting in the film was previously condemned by Patrizia Gucci, one of the descendants of the company’s founding father Guccio Gucci. Patrizia described Leto’s presence in the film as “horrible, horrible,” adding that she felt “offended”.

Patrizia saved the harshest criticism for Leto’s co-star Al Pacino, however, telling the Associated Press in April that the actor was too “fat, short … [and] ugly” to play her grandfather, Aldo Gucci.

Among the other character posters unveiled for the movie is one offering an official look at Gaga as Patrizia. The pop star and actor is seen wearing a black veil and pearls in the image.

In March, Patrizia Reggiani herself criticised Lady Gaga for not meeting with her before playing her in the film.

Read about the real Reggiani and the story of her imprisonment here.

House of Gucci will be released in cinemas on 26 November.