American Crime Story Promo Teases Gianni Versace’s Assassination

The first teaser for the second season of Ryan Murphy’s anthology series, American Crime Story, has arrived online. The Assassination of Gianni Versace stars Edgar Ramirez as the late fashion designer, while Darren Criss takes on the role of Andrew Cunanan, the man who gunned down Versace on the steps of his Malibu home in 1997. Rounding out the cast is Penelope Cruz as Donatella Versace, Ricky Martin as Versace’s partner, Antonio D’Amico, and Finn Witrock as Jeff Trail; friend of Cunanan’s and the man who would go on to become his first victim.

The Assassination of Gianni Versace was originally set to be the third installment of the FX series, which earned great critical acclaim for its first outing, The People vs O.J. Simpson. However, Versace has since had its release date moved up, owing to the other season of American Crime Story, Katrina, undergoing a “creative pivot.” The two seasons have switched places, with Versace now set to air in early 2018, while Katrina is expected to arrive in 2019.

This first teaser is exceptionally brief, but it’s still easy to recognize the event being referenced here. The sound of gunshots sends a flock of birds scattering into the sky as the camera focuses on those iconic gates of the Versace mansion. The scenes were filmed in exactly the same location as the murder took place.

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As with the first season, almost everyone will know about the assassination of Versace, even if they don’t remember it happening. It’s a story that shocked the world, but few know the story behind his killer. Cunanan was a Filipino American, living in San Francisco where he would frequent high class bars where he sold himself to a variety of men. He dabbled in drugs and petty theft and its thought he had a desire to become a gay icon, which is possibly what prompted him to make Versace his fifth and final victim. As the police closed in on Cunanan, eight days after the fashion designer was killed, Cunanan shot himself. The Assassination of Gianni Versace is based upon the book, “Vulgar Favors”, by Maureen Orth, which gives more details on Cunanan’s life, but especially his last few months, when he committed a string of murders and seemed to relish the chance of being caught.

Meanwhile, Katrina is said to be moving ahead with Sarah Paulson in the central role. The season will focus on the events that took place at Memorial Hospital, New Orleans, in the days following hurricane Katrina. A fourth season of American Crime Story is said to focus on the Monica Lewinsky scandal that rocked the White House under Bill Clinton’s Presidency.

American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace premieres on FX in 2018

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