Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
STARS ON SCREEN
‘Feud’ revived: It’s been five years since the last “Feud,” but FX is finally ready to dish out a second serving of the drama produced by Ryan Murphy (“American Horror Story”).
Given the anthology nature of the series and the sheer number of famous feuds that would make for great TV, Season 2 is expected to move away from the first season’s Hollywood setting. That installment, which aired in the spring of 2017, chronicled the epic rivalry between icons Bette Davis (played by Susan Sarandon, “Thelma & Louise,” 1991) and Joan Crawford (played by Jessica Lange, “Tootsie,” 1982) on and off the set of their 1962 film “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?”
Another Hollywood veteran, actress Naomi Watts (“Mulholland Drive,” 2001), is set to star in Season 2, while the legendary Gus Van Sant (“Good Will Hunting,” 1997) will direct.
And ignore all previous talk of chronicling the dissolution of Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s marriage: That idea was scrapped in 2018, and Murphy’s move to Netflix — home of “The Crown,” which will cover the royal divorce in the upcoming fifth season — contributed to FX’s decision to simply hit “pause” on the series for a few years.
Instead, Season 2 of “Feud,” subtitled “Capote’s Women,” will be set in 1970s New York City and is based on the book “Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era” by author Laurence Leamer. It tells the story of author Truman Capote’s bitter (and very public) falling out with the glamorous, high-society women who formed his inner circle — his “swans” — until the novelist published an excerpt that was a thinly veiled tell-all.
Watts is to play the role of Barbara “Babe” Paley, wife of thenCBS chairman Bill Paley. According to Deadline, several other famous actresses have been approached to star as Capote’s other socialite swans that include Gloria Guinness, contributing editor to Harper’s Bazaar; Lee Radziwill, sister of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis; Pamela Churchill, ex-wife of Winston Churchill’s son; and society maven C.Z. Guest.
‘Dancing’ at Disney: After 16 years and 30 seasons on ABC, “Dancing With the Stars” is moving to a new home.
In a stunning move, the dance competition is leaving the Disney-owned broadcast network and moving to Disney+ instead, where seasons 31 (coming this fall) and 32 will premiere exclusively on the streamer. According to Variety, repeats will also be made strictly available via the platform.
It’s a big win for Disney+, which now has the first livestreaming reality show — and one with a big, built-in following, too. While one would assume this is a big loss for ABC and broadcast TV at large since networks have increasingly relied on live television and nonscripted projects to fill airtime, the alphabet network — or parent company Disney, at least — sees it differently.
According to ABC, “Dancing With the Stars’” departure effectively frees up the Monday timeslot for an additional “Monday Night Football” game this fall, and for “new and future programming.”
Dana Walden, chairman of entertainment at Walt Disney Television, summed it up in a statement: “’Dancing with the Stars’ has been a beloved staple on ABC for 30 seasons and brought so much joy to millions of viewers. As we’re significantly expanding our unscripted slate at ABC, this is a great opportunity to introduce this show to a whole new generation of fans on Disney+.”
Goldberg joins Gaiman:
Amazon Prime Video’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s “Anansi Boys” is currently in production (filming began in Scotland in November), and once it debuts, look for Whoopi Goldberg (“The Stand”) to make a big impression.
The EGOT winner has joined the cast of the six-episode series, which stars Malachi Kirby (“Devils”) as Charlie Nancy, a young man who discovers that his late, estranged father was Anansi, trickster god of legend. Charlie also learns of a brother named Spider (also played by Kirby), who soon makes Charlie’s life more interesting — and dangerous, too.
Goldberg has been tapped to play the role of Bird Woman, the god of birds and one of the deities of the World Before Time. The role is the reason for her recent absence from “The View.”
“I have been a fan of this book for a very long time,” Goldberg explained, “and when Neil Gaiman told me it was being brought to the screen, I did everything I could to be part of it to help make people aware of Anansi and all his magic.”
Gaiman, who serves as the series’ co-showrunner, added: “When I first conceived ‘Anansi Boys’ decades ago, I imagined Whoopi Goldberg as Bird Woman. I wasn’t able to meet her until 2018 ... at which point she mentioned that she had just finished listening to Sir Lenny Henry’s reading of ‘Anansi Boys,’ and that it was one of her favorite books. Sometimes things feel planned and inevitable, and we are incredibly lucky.”
He concluded his statement, saying, “She’s going to be scary.”