Posted in: Current News, Editor's Picks TV News, Movies, TV | Tagged: american crime story, annette bening, darren criss, dennis quaid, edgar ramirez, fx, fx networks, george w. bush, gianni versace, kathleen blanco, katrina, new orleans, penelope cruz, ricky martin, ryan murphy, television, tv, versace
'American Crime Story' Delays 'Katrina' As 'Versace' Moved Up to Season 2
Viewers will have to switch-up their travel plans next season to Miami as FX announced it will be swapping the next two seasons of Ryan Murphy's American Crime Story, moving the season-long storyline The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story from the third season to the second season. The Hurricane Katrina-themed storyline, Katrina: American Crime Story, was originally scheduled for the second season but is now third in line for the franchise and is scheduled to begin production in early 2018.
Versace examines the murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace and the manhunt for serial murderer Andrew Cunanan, who killed Versace on the front steps of his Miami Beach home. The media firestorm surrounding the murder would create a climate of fear, anger and mistrust throughout the Miami, Florida, area for the next eight days. Cunanan eventually committed suicide and his body was discovered on a house boat eight days later.
Edgar Ramirez (Carlos, The Girl on the Train) is cast as Versace, with Darren Criss (Glee) tapped to play Cunanan, Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona) as Donatella Versace, and singer Ricky Martin as Versace's partner, Antonio D'Amico. Murphy will serve as executive producer with Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Brad Falchuk, and Tom Rob Smith (who also serves as writer); and as director of the season's premiere episode in early 2018
As for Katrina, so far Dennis Quaid (Frequency) has been cast as U.S. President George W. Bush and Annette Bening (American Beauty) as Kathleen Blanco, who served as the governor of Louisiana both during and after the hurricane's path of devastation. The Monica Lewinsky scandal has also been mentioned as a subject for a future season of American Crime Story, though no timetable has been set by either Murphy or FX.