Only in Hollywood can a person’s uncanny likeness to an infamous, pedophilic prophet yield professional benefits. It’s being reported that Friday Night Lights alum Taylor Kitsch will be portraying David Koresh in a limited series about the 1993 FBI siege in Waco, Texas. Koresh was a self-proclaimed prophet and leader of a religious sect that called themselves the Branch Davidians. After a 51-day military blockade and tense standoff, orchestrated on suspicion the group had accumulated illegal firearms and explosives, a fire broke out in the compound. Koresh and 79 of his followers, many under the age of 17, perished.
Boardwalk Empire‘s Michael Shannon has been cast as FBI negotiator Gary Noesner, and Ludacris is reportedly being considered to play Branch Davidian loyalist Wayne Martin. The series, which lacks a network at the moment, will be scripted by brothers John Erick Dowdle and Drew Dowdle, whose film No Escape showcased the pair’s ability to bring violent uprisings to the screen. The show will be told from multiple perspectives on either side of the historic conflict. It’s based on two biographies about the incident: Sinful Messiah, written by an FBI agent, and A Place Called Waco, penned by one of only nine survivors of the April 19 conflagration.
Weinstein Television, which is developing the series, said in a statement that the miniseries “will explore the truth behind this tragedy and speaks directly to the heart of the current issues between citizens, law enforcement and the media.”
(Via the Hollywood Reporter)
