Ridley Scott is to take on the bloody saga of the Gucci dynasty, chronicling the ups and downs of the Italian fashion family as it developed its world renowned brand.

Hollywood studio Fox 2000 is developing the project for the British director of American Gangster. Charles Randolph, the scribe behind The Interpreter and The Life of David Gale, will pen the script once the strike by Hollywood screenwriters comes to an end.

The movie's plot will focus on Maurizio Gucci, the grandson of founder Guccio Gucci, who became the surprise boss of the family business after a violent power struggle. Maurizio Gucci was later gunned down in front of his flat in Milan in 1995, just as he was about to unveil his greatest success - a daring fashion show by designer Tom Ford, who was then a newcomer to the brand.

But before Scott can turn his attention to the Gucci story he has other projects to work on. The director is currently busy in Morocco directing the spy saga Body of Lies, the story of a former journalist hired by the CIA to track down an al-Qaida leader in Jordan, which will star Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe. He will then work again with Crowe on Nottingham, a retelling of the Robin Hood tale.