Aristotle Onassis will be brought to life on the big screen in the highly-anticipated adaptation of investigative journalist Peter Evans’ controversial 1968 book, entitled Nemesis: The True Story of Aristotle Onassis, Jackie O, and the Love Triangle That Brought Down the Kennedys.
The film’s screenplay, produced by Pathe Inc., will bear the signature of Braulio Mantovani under the direction of Brazilian Academy Award nominee Fernando Meirelles’ (City of God, The Constant Gardener).
Al Pacino’s selection to star as the Greek tycoon Aristotle Onassis has already made it the new Hollywood blockbuster. The film, entitled Nemesis, will focus on Bob Kennedy’s vengeance. According to the book, Bobby Kennedy was behind the secret control over the companies of the Greek tycoon and banned his trading activities in the US. The icy relationship between the two men reached its climax when Onassis started publicly referring to Jacqueline Kennedy as Jackie O.
The film, which sets off in Argentina, where Onassis started building his empire, will also revolve around Onassis’ addictive and destructive affair with Maria Callas as well as his competitive relationship with his shipping rival Stavros Niarchos, but its main theme is the clash with the Kennedy family. A shady warp in the plot is expected to bring about even more controversy following Peter Evans’ claims that Aristotle Onassis conspired against Bob Kennedy, providing leads on how he financed the murder. The writer describes this twist as a secret that has been kept for three decades, while the possibility of Onassis being responsible for John’s murder is also mentioned.
Meirelles’ take on the script will reportedly be something like The Godfather, with the famous billionaire magnate at the centre of the story. Bob Kennedy’s character will be played by the Irish actor Michael Fassbender, 36, while the candidate’s name for the role of Jacqueline Kennedy remains undisclosed. Many scenes will be filmed on location at Skorpios island, now owned by Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev’s daughter. The production of the film is estimated to reach 30 million dollars.