Ryan Murphy revealed details about the making of American Crime Story’s second installment, which will focus on Hurricane Katrina and feature George W. Bush and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as prominent characters.
FX is no doubt looking to repeat the success of The People v. O.J. Simpson, a hit that picked up 22 Emmy nominations. According to Murphy, Douglas Brinkley’s Katrina book The Great Deluge will be the main reference for next season’s storylines. “We’re laying into what do you do when you’re in a city and your government has abandoned you?” Murphy tellsThe Hollywood Reporter. “You get out by climbing up and pulling up people with you, and to a large degree that’s what the miniseries is about. It’s not just what happened but heroic stories about people surviving—or in some cases, dying helping others.”
Besides Bush and Rice, the series will also cast roles for New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco. Though Courtney B. Vance (who played Johnny Cochran in People v. O.J)confirmed his participation, Murphy has yet to solidify a cast. Sarah Paulson (Marcia Clark in People v. O.J.) and Cuba Gooding Jr. (O.J. Simpson) have also publicized their desire to return. Unlike American Horror Story, Murphy says the second installment won’t rehash much of the previous cast. “You will see some people, but not all of them,” he says. THR reports:
Murphy, who suggests he, Jacobson and Simpson are already sifting through stories for future seasons, anticipates supersizing this one with 13 to 15 episodes. “It’s sprawling,” he says of the story, adding: “You’re following a cast of characters from before the storm hits to its aftermath, and that’s a big story.”
Well, if it’s not like the movies, that’s how it should be. Another question remains: Who’s playing Kanye?
