One of Michael Hammer’s final wishes before his 2022 death was for his movie star son, Armie Hammer, to portray him in a feature film.
Barry Avrich — the director of the Netflix art scandal documentary, “Made You Look” — told Page Six that former gallery owner Michael was lobbying for Armie to play him in the film adaptation.
Avrich also has written a new tome on the artworld scandal, “The Devil Wears Rothko.”
“We were, and still are, shopping the scripted version… and [Michael] felt he should be played by either Tom Cruise or Armie, his son. He offered to introduce me to both,” Avrich said.
The elder Hammer was a central figure in “Made You Look,” which Avrich subsequently has turned into a book, and is hoping to turn into a feature film.
Michael owned the infamous Knoedler Gallery, Manhattan’s oldest — but it closed after being accused of selling $80 million in fake art.
In 2004, a Mark Rothko painting sold for over $17 million, but later turned out to be a phony.
The forged painting was part of one of the largest art scandals in history, with Knoedler & Co. eventually admitting it unknowingly sold 31 counterfeit pieces, including works by Rothko and Jackson Pollock, that helped them rake in millions.
A mysterious Long Island art dealer, Glafira Rosales, had sold the pieces to the gallery’s former director, Ann Freedman, and Avrich says he hopes Meryl Streep would portray Freedman should the film come to light.
Knoedler shuttered for good in 2011, but it appears art scammers are still operating out there.
Avrich told us that “a prominent Chelsea Gallery” invited him to do a book launch party, complete with its most important collectors — only to change course when they saw his book’s title.
“The gallery director saw the book title and said they have not been immune in dealing with fakes,” he told us.
He wouldn’t name the gallery. Maybe he’s saving it for his next doc?
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