Capote vs. The Swans, a miniseries by Ryan Murphy: Everything You Need to Know
Ryan Murphy is about to launch a new season of “Feud”, this time exploring the intriguing story of Truman Capote and his socialites, nicknamed “swans”. The return of the acclaimed drama series comes six years after the success of “Bette and Joan”, also created by Murphy. In this next season, the television mogul will present the true story of author Truman Capote and his close relationship with Manhattan’s high society socialites in the 1970s.
FX’s much-anticipated miniseries, now titled “Capote vs. The Swans”, had its first mention in April 2022, when Deadline announced that the project would adapt Laurence Leamer’s bestseller, “Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era”. The series will cover the author’s life in New York in the 1970s, during the height of his fame after the success of “In Cold Blood”, highlighting his close relationship with the city’s most elegant and wealthy women. As the narrative draws closer to Capote’s death in 1984, we will witness his betrayal in publishing the controversial 1975 short story, “La Côte Basque 1965”, which exposed his friends’ most intimate secrets.
“Feud: Capote vs. The Swans” will premiere in January 2024. The eight-episode series will be broadcast on FX from Wednesday, January 31st. All episodes will be available for streaming on Hulu the following day, as reported. FX has also released the official trailer, revealing the main cast wearing black dresses with swans adorning their shoulders.
The broadcaster released a set of previously unseen images earlier this year, revealing the series’ stellar cast in period costume. In addition, it was revealed that the series is scheduled for release this winter.
In “Capote vs. The Swans”, renowned stars play the glamorous “swans”, including Chloë Sevigny as C. Z. Guest, Andy Warhol’s muse. Guest, muse of Andy Warhol; Calista Flockhart as Lee Radziwill, younger sister of Jackie Kennedy; Demi Moore as Ann Woodward, widow of banking heir Billy Woodward; Molly Ringwald as Joanne Carson, second wife of Johnny Carson; Diane Lane as Slim Keith, ex-wife of Howard Hawks and discoverer of Lauren Bacall; and Naomi Watts as Babe Paley, close friend of Capote and wife of CBS founder William S. Paley.
In the role of Truman Capote, the renowned actor from “Pride and Prejudice” and “The White Lotus”, Tom Hollander, will play the famous author. The miniseries will be directed by Pulitzer Prize-winning director and playwright Jon Robin Baitz. Oscar nominee Gus Van Sant will direct all eight episodes.
In an interview featured on the cover of Town & Country, he suggests that the crux of the conflict in the stellar feud will be the dissolution of the friendship between Capote and Paley, setting it up as the central emotional arc of the season.
“This was a narrative about ambition, friendship and writer’s block,” said Murphy. “Essentially, it was about overcoming and personal achievement. At its core, it was a story about the bonds between men and women, especially gay men and their partners. A feud is never just about hate; it’s always about pain. For the show to succeed, a meaningful divide based on hurt, not just hate, was essential, and Babe and Truman were the epicenter of that dynamic.”