"American Horror Story" creator Ryan Murphy has a new anthology series named "Feud" in the works that will be aired on FX in 2017. Reportedly, Murphy has landed a straight-to-series eight-episode order and the first instalment will focus on the backstage battle between Joan Crawford and Bette Davis.
"'Feud' adds a third and equally ambitious franchise to Ryan's unprecedented slate of FX anthological limited series and marks our third such collaboration with studio partner 20th Century Fox Television/Fox 21," FX Networks CEO John Landgraf was quoted as saying by Variety. "The series will offer a seductive, insightful look at what lies behind legendary personality conflicts."
Actors Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange will play Davis and Crawford, respectively. The legendary artists came together in 1962 to collaborate on a picture titled "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" that went on to receive five Academy Award nominations. However, the actresses couldn't put their differences behind them.
So what caused these two to hate each other? Actor Franchot Tone, apparently. Davis and Tone acted together in 1935 film "Dangerous" and she soon fell in love with him.
"I fell in love with Franchot, professionally and privately. Everything about him reflected his elegance, from his name to his manners," she was quoted as saying by Queen of Vintage. But soon Crawford entered the picture, and swept Tone off his feet. "He was madly in love with her. They met each day for lunch…he would return to the set, his face covered in lipstick…He was honoured this great star was in love with him. I was jealous of course."
Sarandon and Lange will be joined by Alfred Molina, Stanley Tucci, Judy Davis, and Dominic Burgess.
"Feud" will start production this fall and will air sometime in 2017. Besides directing several of the episodes, Murphy will act as an executive producer along with Brad Pitt.