Ryan Murphy's American Crime Story is one of FX's finest programs within the network's catalog of high-quality television series. To make things even better, the franchise is only starting, having released just two limited series since its first chapter, The People v. O.J. Simpson, back in 2016. The Assassination of Gianni Versace was released two years later in 2018, and both chapters are admirable recreations of some of the most memorable scandals of the 20th century.
Impeachment: American Crime Story will recollect the polarizing scandal involving the 42nd president of the United States, Bill Clinton, and young White House intern Monica Lewinsky. The highly-publicized controversy eventually led to Bill Clinton facing impeachment. There is every reason to think American Crime Story will exceed expectations just as it has with its previous installments. Here are ten things we know about so far about the upcoming season.
Production Stopped Due To COVID Complications
Like many projects expected to release in 2020, Impeachment: American Crime Story has had great difficulty with production. After filming in the Fall, the cast and team have pressed pause and hope to continue filming in January, according to Deadline.
The image above shows Sarah Paulson and Beanie Feldstein as Linda Tripp and Monica Lewinsky, respectively. Notice the 90s outfits, which are indicative of another masterful wardrobe design, falling in line with the stylistic precision found in previous chapters. The makers of American Crime Story may have an unmatched ability in terms of recreating time-periods.
Destined For Another Emmy Run
Over its four year lifetime, American Crime Story has accumulated forty Emmy nominations, of which the franchise has won sixteen. The more recent Assassination of Gianni Versace won awards for directing, writing, casting, costumes, and makeup. Darren Criss even took home the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. The People v. O.J. Simpson was also showered in awards, with Sarah Paulson and Sterling K. Brown both won Emmys for their performances.
Once it's released, Impeachment: American Crime Story should be another formidable series at the Emmy Awards, hopefully winning the franchise its third award for Outstanding Limited Series.
Clive Owen Plays Bill Clinton
The series' third chapter is set up to have another star-studded cast. Owen has yet to make an appearance in Murphy's FX shows, but the Oscars winner should undoubtedly contribute a memorable portrayal of Clinton. In spite of the swarm of publicity that usually surrounds the casting of a U.S. president, Owen is not supposed to be a huge part of the plotline.
Instead, the filmmakers plan to focus more on the trial and the underrepresented perspectives of women outside the circle of power, such as Lewinsky and Paula Jones. It will certainly be fascinating to see how Murphy and the rest of the team will decide to depict the former president. However, all indications point to Clinton being portrayed in a negative light.
Monica Lewinsky Is A Producer
Monica Lewinsky will not only be the main character in the show, but she will also have production credits. The inclusion of Lewinsky on the production team reflects Murphy's commitment to bringing 'new' voices to historical events, which can at times contradict the message delivered to the public when portrayed events transpired.
For instance, Murphy brought a fairly fresh perspective to The People v. O.J. Simpson by focusing on lesser-known parts of the case and using a modern-day lens to analyze the elusive and questionable 'politics' that contributed to making the scandal such an infamous event in modern history.
When asked about producing by Vanity Fair, Lewinsky responded, "Two of the three main editors and four of the five executive producers are women [...] I may not like everything that has been put in the series or left out, but I like that the perspective is being shaped by women."
Questions Regarding Timing Of Release
Originally slated to release on Sep. 27, Impeachment: American Crime Story faced some backlash from critics regarding its release coming prior to the U.S. presidential elections, as there were worries that the series would unfairly dissuade American voters from the Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden.
The Wrap reported that FX Chairman John Landgraf fiercely defended his decision to release the season prior to the election, writing off the media for trying to "shout us down," as Landgraf put it. Nonetheless, COVID complications stopped any chance of the show releasing before the election.
Sarah Paulson Stars As Linda Tripp
Sarah Paulson starred as lead prosecutor of Simpson's case, Marcia Clark, in the first chapter of American Crime Story, but wasn't on the roster for the series' second chapter. Nonetheless, Paulson has starred in many of Murphy's works, including American Horror Story and Ratched, which was released on Netflix in September.
In the third chapter, Paulson will play Linda Tripp, the white house employee who 'backstabbed' Lewinsky by recording their calls without Lewinsky knowing. Tripp was basically the whistleblower of the scandal, which led to Clinton facing impeachment. Although, the attempt at impeachment didn't stem from Clinton's infidelity, but rather, for lying under oath, which was proven by Tripp's recordings. In an interview, Paulson told Collider that playing Tripp has been both challenging and exciting thus far.
Largely Based On Book By Jeffrey Toobin
The legal analyst and author Jeffrey Toobin's book, A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down A President, is the core source material used by American Crime Story writers. The writing team for Impeachment: American Crime Story is headed by playwright Sarah Burgess, who has written the plays Dry Powder and Kings.
Aside from Toobin's best-selling book, Lewinsky herself was involved in the writing process, offering her own personal experiences. Lewinsky's involvement should sharpen the detail of Murphy's work, making for an intimate portrait of such a famed scandal. Additionally, Lewinsky's voice will be heard objectively, and it must be satisfying to have control over how you are portrayed after being misconstrued by the public when the scandal first broke in the 90s.
Beanie Feldstein Plays Monica Lewinsky
Beanie Feldstein has starred in two highly-celebrated, recent films in Booksmart and Lady Bird. Much of her filmography — which only stretches back to 2012, not counting her one previous credit in 2002 for the series My Wife and Kids — consists of comedy roles.
So, it will be interesting to see how Feldstein handles the task of playing such a high-profile, drama infused role, which she has described as "daunting" when talking to Variety. Feldstein also said she was ecstatic to work alongside Sarah Paulson, especially considering the complicated relationship between Lewinsky and Tripp, and Feldstein is eager to see how everything plays out.
Hillary Clinton Role Still Not Casted
There is still no word as to who will be playing Hillary Clinton in the highly anticipated third chapter. Nonetheless, as previously mentioned, the Clintons are not meant to be the focus of the show, as Murphy would rather highlight the more suppressed perspectives involved in the scandal.
Who knows, Kate McKinnon may have a shot at being cast as she has portrayed Hillary on SNL many times. Although McKinnon is used to being in comedy films, her inclusion wouldn't be too jarring since Clinton isn't meant to be the centerpiece in any way.
FX Chairman Discusses Other American Crime Story Possibilities
While discussing how American Crime Story has evolved, FX Chairman claimed Murphy had several ideas bouncing around for the series, which of course included the idea for Impeachment. However, a lesser know idea floating around (according to Hollywood Reporter) was a season centered around Hurricane Katrina. The 2005 natural disaster was going to be the second installment of the franchise, but was scrapped for The Assassination of Gianni Versace.