Feud: Capote vs. the Swans
When Feud season 1 hit our screens in 2017, it showcased the rivalry between Joan Crawford and Bette Davis in the 1960s.
The anthology docudrama crafted by Creators Ryan Murphy, Jaffe Cohen, and Michael Zam shocked audiences with its dramatic depiction of Hollywood royalty.
And now after a 6-year hiatus, the show is making a comeback for season 2.
Feud Season 2
Feud season 2 has been officially titled Feud: Capote vs. The Swans. It will bring to life the very public, very bitter feud between writer Truman Capote and his female high-society friends (the titular Swans).
Long story short, Truman had befriended the swans, including Babe Paley, C.Z. Guest, and Slim Keith only to betray them so deeply when he published the thinly veiled story “La Côte Basque, 1965” in Esquire.
Apparently, Truman struggled with writer’s block at the time but suddenly got the inspiration to write what he thought would be his best work of all time. A novel; based on the secret and racy lives of his very rich friends.
However, the novel titled Answered Prayers – which was never finished caused a scandal when a chapter of it “La Côte Basque, 1965” appeared in Esquire in 1975.
The chapter featured poorly disguised characters, which were representations of Capote’s friends. Secrets of affairs and a shooting were all exposed.
The result was almost complete social isolation for Truman and a quest for revenge from his former friends.
Tony and Pulitzer-nominated playwright Jon Robin Baitz will helm Feud: Capote vs. the Swans, and Oscar-nominated director Gus Van Sant will direct all eight episodes.
The show will focus on the betrayal and scandal. “A feud is never about hatred; a feud is about pain, always. For the show to work, there had to be a great split that was about heartache as opposed to hatred, and Babe and Truman were at the center of that,” says Murphy.
Who is playing who?
The cast of Feud season 2 is as star-studded as it gets. Here is the full list:
Tom Hollander (The Kings Man) as Truman Capote
Naomi Watts (Mulholland Drive) as Babe Paley
Chloe Sevigny (American Psycho) as C.Z. Guest
Calista Flockhart (Ally McBeal) as Lee Radziwell
Demi Moore (Ghost) as Ann Woodward
Molly Ringwald (The Breakfast Club) as Joanne Carson
Treat Williams (Chesapeake Shores) as William Paley
Chris Chalk (Perry Mason) as James Baldwin
Diane Lane (Man of Steel) as Slim Keith
Newcomer Ella Beatty as Kate Harrington
Paley and Truman became fast friends after their first meeting. “Mrs. P had only one fault: she was perfect,” he once wrote. “Otherwise, she was perfect.”
Keith was the fashionable former wife of Howard Hawks, Leland Heyward, and Baron Keith of Castleacre.
They both cut Truman off completely after the publication. Woodward never hid her bitterness as the writer spread the rumor that she had shot her husband on purpose.
There’s currently no official release date for Feud Season 2. But possibilities point to early 2024.
