Capote vs. The Swans’ — Everything We Know So Far

Feud is an anthology series that made its debut in 2017. The series shocked audiences with its dramatic depiction of Hollywood royalty, Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. Creators Ryan Murphy, Jaffe Cohen, and Michael Zam crafted a series that quickly became must-watch television.

After a five-year hiatus, the anthology series returns with an adaptation of Laurence Leamer’s bestselling book Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era, which focuses on infamous author Truman Capote and his friendships–and feuds–with 1970s New York high society. Like all of Murphy’s series, Feud: vs. The Swans features an all-star cast, sharp dialogue, and a single narrative spread over multiple episodes. But will audiences be as fascinated by Manhattan society gossip as they were with old Hollywood backstabbing? Here’s what we know about Feud‘s second season.

Does ‘Feud: Capote vs. The Swans’ Have a Release Date?

Feud: Capote’ vs. The Swans will be released on FX and Hulu in the United States and through Disney+ internationally. The series will premiere on January 31, 2024.

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Does ‘Feud: Capote vs. The Swans’ Have a Trailer?

Feud: Capote vs. the Swans received its first trailer on January 3, 2024. The nearly three-minute trailer sets the stage for what’s sure to be a drama-filled season.

Who Are the Cast of ‘Feud: Capote vs. The Swans’?

Two actors have memorably portrayed Capote, Philip Seymour Hoffman in Capote and Toby Jones in Infamous. While both actors were lauded for their performances, Infamous was often unfavorably compared to Capote, given the later release date and Hoffman’s 2006 Oscar win for Best Actor. In Feud: Capote vs. the Swans, Truman Capote is played by British actor Tom Hollander (Pride & Prejudice, The King’s Man). Though he has pretty big shoes to fill, Hollander might be a perfect fit for the part: Like Jones, he has Capote’s diminutive stature, and like Hoffman, he’s been a famous character actor for decades.

Naomi Watts (Birdman) joins the cast as Capote’s closest friend, the perfectly polished Babe Paley, Treat Williams (Chesapeake Shores) as William Paley, Calista Flockhart (Ally McBeal) as Lee Radziwell, Chloe Sevigny (We Are Who We Are) as C.Z. Guest, Diane Lane (Zack Snyder’s Justice League) stars as Nancy “Slim” Keith, Demi Moore (A Few Good Men) as Woodward, and Molly Ringwald (The Breakfast Club) Joanne Carson.

Finally, joining these screen veterans is relative newcomer Ella Beatty, playing Kate Harrington, the daughter of Capote’s lover. Kate (real name Kerry O’Shea) was essentially adopted by Capote as a teenager and later took care of him at the end of his life. Feud: Capote vs. the Swans marks Beatty’s acting debut.

What is ‘Feud: Capote vs. The Swans’ About?

Few writers become celebrities like Truman Capote. He took the world by storm with his groundbreaking novel In Cold Blood. Capote had written his first bestseller at age 24, adapted his work into successful Broadway plays and musicals, and gotten drunk with movie stars as a Hollywood screenwriter. But with In Cold Blood–an account of the 1959 massacre of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Texas, Capote created a revolutionary new kind of reportage: a “nonfiction novel” written while events (the capture, conviction, and execution of killers David Hickock and Perry Smith) were still unfolding in real-time. The book was a sensation, and though it didn’t win the Pulitzer Prize as Capote had hoped, it made him the toast of fashionable society. At the height of his influence, Capote hosted the Black and White Masquerade Ball at the Plaza Hotel Ballroom in 1966–an event still considered one of the most legendary society evenings of all time.

Feud: Capote’s Woman will focus on the women that surrounded the celebrated author. The series will focus on the relationships and betrayal of Capote, as told in the Laurence Leamer novel Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era.

Who’s Behind Feud: Capote vs. The Swans?

Ryan Murphy will executive produce Feud: Capote vs. the Swans hrough his production company Ryan Murphy Productions, along with Dede Gardner of Plan B, Tim Minear, and Alexis Martin Woodall–all of whom executive produced/produced Season 1 of the series. Oscar nominee Gus Van Sant has signed to direct, and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Jon Robin Baitz penned all eight episodes and will be the showrunner. The series is also produced by 20th Television and FX Productions.

What Happened in the Last Season of Feud?

As previously mentioned, Feud is an anthology series, and thus it tells a different story each season. The first season was titled Feud: Bette and Joan. Chronicling the five decades-long feud between Hollywood legends Joan Crawford (an icon of movie glamour) and Bette Davis (a master of the acting craft), the film is set before and after the production of the classic horror film Whatever Happened to Baby Jane (1964). With studio moguls using rivalry to publicize the film and play each actress off the other, Baby Jane was a critical and audience success.

Not only did it provide comebacks for two actresses who were allegedly past their prime, but the film also created a whole new horror character: “the psychotic granny,” once only glimpsed in the shadows in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (Certainly Ti West, director of X and Pearl, owes a huge debt to Baby Jane). But despite their mutual antagonism, Davis and Crawford, as played by Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange, are more similar than not: ruthless, resilient, and willing to sacrifice family, love, and pride in a fight to stay relevant while the studio system crumbled. Sure, they’re monsters–but Ryan Murphy, with his deep affection for the grotesque, balances the high camp with moments of gentle empathy.

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