'American Crime Story' Season 2 Cast News, Updates: Series To Tell Story Of Hurricane Katrina; Courtney B. Vance To Return
Now that it has finished airing its critically acclaimed first season, which told the story of the infamous O.J. Simpson murder trial, "American Crime Story" turns its attention to its second season, which will tell the story of Hurricane Katrina.
Though the second season is yet to officially receive the green light, the people behind "American Crime Story" have already announced their plans for the show's second run, with one season 1 cast member confirming his return to the series and the rest expressing their interest in participating in the new season.
In the January cover story of The Hollywood Reporter, "American Crime Story" executive producer Ryan Murphy confirmed that the new season will revolve around Hurricane Katrina and the catastrophic events that followed.
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"[Katrina] is a big, epic story," FX President and General Manager John Landgraf told THR. Though Katrina was not a singular crime nor a clear-cut trial like that in "The People v. O.J. Simpson," Landgraf says that the disaster was nevertheless an American crime story. "…There were a series of pretty serious crimes that took place in and around Katrina," the FX boss said.
According to Landgraf, the next iteration of "American Crime Story" will explore the many issues and events, such as the flawed levees, the hospitals where patients were taken off life support, and the chaos inside the Superdome, that exacerbated Hurricane Katrina.
As for the season 2 cast, only one season 1 star has so far confirmed his return to the series. Actor Courtney B. Vance, whose portrayal of Simpson lead attorney Johnnie Cochran earned much praise, recently told E! News that he will be part of season 2.
"I don't know in what capacity," the actor said. "I don't think any of us know yet. We're just waiting for Ryan to tell us what we're doing."
According to The Hollywood Reporter, season 1 cast members Cuba Gooding, Jr., Sarah Paulson, Sterling K. Brown, and John Travolta have also said that they are interested in joining the season 2 cast.
In a recent interview with THR, Travolta disclosed that he is "very interested" in the Katrina theme as he and his wife Kelly Preston had been involved in the relief efforts in the aftermath of the hurricane.
"We went with a plane-load of medics and supplies and went deep into the parishes to help people, so I have a personal feeling about that," the actor said. "It touches me deeply."
No official release date for the second season of "American Crime Story" has been announced.
