LOS ANGELES, October 7, 2014 – Prolific award-winning producer Ryan Murphy, whose American Horror Story franchise invented the anthology miniseries format, has come up with his next entry: American Crime Story, a companion anthology focused each season on a different true crime story which made headlines and captivated the imagination of the public. The new franchise has been ordered by FX, it was announced today by John Landgraf, CEO, FX Networks and FX Productions.
The first installment, American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson, is based on the book The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson by Jeffrey Toobin. Murphy joins Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson (The Hunger Games, Diary of a Wimpy Kid) and Brad Falchuk (Glee, American Horror Story, co-created with Murphy) as Executive Producers of American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson, alongside writers Alexander and Karaszewski. Dante Di Loreto also serves as an Executive Producer, with Murphy set to direct. The first two hours of the miniseries will be written by Golden Globe-winning screenwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (The People vs. Larry Flynt, Ed Wood, Man on the Moon), who are Executive Producers of ‘ACS: O.J.’. Production begins early next year in Los Angeles. It is produced by FXP and Fox 21, the companies that co-produce the long-running hit series Sons of Anarchy for the network.
“Time and time again, Ryan Murphy has transformed the medium of television by redefining genres and formats as he did with Nip/Tuck, Glee and the American Horror Story franchise, and we expect the same of American Crime Story,” said Landgraf. “Scott and Larry have adapted Jeffrey Toobin’s book into a masterful 10-hour piece. I have no doubt that Ryan and his partners, Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Brad Falchuk, and Dante Di Loreto are going to make something very memorable here – and that it will be a spectacular first entry in what is destined to become a series of great true crime-based miniseries.”
“This is an exciting project for me,” commented Murphy, “as I’ve been looking for the right property which could serve as an extension of the American Horror Story brand I love so much. The O.J. case was as tragic as it was fascinating – it seemed like everyone had a stake in the outcome. It was really the beginning of the modern tabloid age.”
“When Ryan has passion for a project, our entire company is energized by his enthusiasm and spectacular talent,” said Fox Television Group Chairmen and CEOs Dana Walden and Gary Newman. “Nothing is more exciting than starting a juicy, new franchise with him, and the team behind-the-scenes is top-notch – a ‘dream team’ that rivals any ever assembled.
American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson is a look at the O.J. Simpson trial told from the perspective of the lawyers that explores the chaotic behind-the-scenes dealings and maneuvering on both sides of the court, and how a combination of prosecution confidence, defense wiliness, and the LAPD’s history with the city’s African-American community gave a jury what it needed: reasonable doubt.
Ryan Murphy is the Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning writer/producer and director of the hit series Glee (FOX) and Nip/Tuck (FX) and the miniseries American Horror Story, American Horror Story: Asylum and American Horror Story: Coven. Murphy’s newest installment of the AHS franchise, American Horror Story: Freak Show, premieres tomorrow – Wednesday, October 8 – at 10 PM on FX. In only three years on the air, the AHS franchise has scored a remarkable 51 Emmy Award nominations, and has earned its star Jessica Lange two Emmys, a Screen Actors Guild award and a Golden Globe. Murphy recently won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Made for Television Movie The Normal Heart (HBO), based on Larry Kramer’s award-winning play of the same title about early days of HIV-AIDS crisis in New York City’s gay community in the early 1980s.
Since its inception, Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson’s Color Force production company has proven to be a hotbed for bringing beloved literary adaptations to the big screen. Nina Jacobson, along with her partner Brad Simpson, have been able to secure valuable partnerships with several favorite pop culture writers, including Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games trilogy), David Nicholls (One Day) and Jeff Kinney (The Wimpy Kid series). The company is currently developing several best-selling novels including Maria Semple’s Where’d You Go, Bernadette? with Annapurna Pictures, Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians and Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch. In 2014, Color Force signed a first-look feature deal with Fox 2000. Color Force also has a first-look cable television deal with FX Productions. American Crime Story: The People V OJ Simpson will be the first production under this pact. Color Force’s films The Hunger Games and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire have grossed a combined $1.5 billion worldwide. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, the third film in the series, will be released by Lionsgate on November 21, 2014 followed by the final film in the series, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 on November 20, 2015.
