How American Crime Story: Versace Differs From O.J.

American Crime Story executive producer Ryan Murphy has recently dished out some details regarding the comparisons between The Assassination of Gianni Versace and People v. O.J. Simpson. Based on Maureen Orth's book, Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U.S. History, the second installment of the true crime anthology series will delve deep into the horrific murder of the acclaimed clothing designer by serial killer Andrew Cunanan in 1997 that shocked both Hollywood and the fashion community.

Versace's premise is interesting, especially with the events prior and after his murder on the steps of his Miami Beach mansion 20 years ago. But the national attention that the trial of O.J. Simpson had - from his highway chase to his trial and eventual acquittal is unparalleled mainly because of people's fascination with the disgraced football player. Couple that with the massive critical acclaim that People v. O.J. got during its TV run, the second installment of American Crime Story has some big shoes to fill.

That said, Murphy has revealed he is aware of the big challenge that The Assassination of Gianni Versace is facing in succeeding People v. O.J., but has explained to TV Line that the two anthology offerings cannot really be compared due to their production and treatment differences:

“You’re never going to do O.J. again. To sort of chase that ghost is insane. That was a much more interior show. We spent so much time in that courthouse. Here, we really go across the country. It’s a manhunt season… it has a great breadth and a great scope.”

American Crime Story - Sterling K. Brown

The renowned show developer continued by sharing that he was actually eager for the various visual play that they can use to bring the vibrant Versace and the world he lived in to life. “It was a real relief for me not to have to shoot boxy wool suits. I was like, ‘A pink robe… yes,'” he exclaimed.

Narrative-wise, The Assassination of Gianni Versace is also using an approach different from its predecessor. Instead of a linear timeline, the limited series will apparently start with the designer's deadly shooting and will progress backward - filling in different details on both Versace and Cunanan's respective lives prior to the terrible incident.

While the second outing of American Crime Story has yet to hit the FX airwaves, its follow-up - which will revolve around the natural disaster that was Hurricane Katrina in 2005 - is already in development. Dennis Quaid is set to play President George W. Bush while Matthew Broderick will take the role of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Director Michael D. Brown. The fourth offering of the series has also been on the docket with the possible story mined from President Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky's infamous scandal that rocked the White House in the mid-1990s.