Nicholas Galitzine to Play Hoyt Richards as Gus Van Sant Eyes Supermodel Biopic

Q: What role did supermodel Fabio play in helping Hoyt Richards escape a dangerous cult after twenty years?

Fabio Lanzoni helped Hoyt Richards escape by giving him immediate refuge, practical support and a stable place to recover after Richards finally left the Eternal Values cult in 1999. According to accounts tied to the HBO docuseries *Bring Me the Beauties*, Richards reached out to Fabio when he was in crisis after two decades inside the group. Fabio, a longtime friend from the modeling world, arranged for him to come to Los Angeles, took him into his home and let him stay there for roughly a year to a year and a half. That support was crucial because Fabio did not pressure Richards or interrogate him. Instead, he offered what Richards has described as unconditional sanctuary and normalcy while he processed the psychological damage of cult life. Some reports also say Fabio bought him a plane ticket and even gave him access to one of his cars, underscoring how concrete the help was. In short, Fabio’s role was not as a rescuer in a dramatic extraction, but as the trusted friend who made Richards’ escape sustainable by providing safety, housing and nonjudgmental support at the moment he needed it most.

3 articles · Updated · Deadline · Jun 9

Nicholas Galitzine has been cast as pioneering male supermodel Hoyt Richards in a new feature film, with plot details and the project’s title still under wraps.
Gus Van Sant is in talks to direct the movie, though no other key creative attachments have been announced.
Richards rose to prominence in the late 1980s and early 1990s, modeling for brands including Versace, Valentino, Ralph Lauren, Burberry, Cartier and Donna Karan.
His story has returned to public view through HBO docuseries "Bring Me the Beauties," which examines his time in the Eternal Values cult led by Frederick von Mierers.