Days before the first season of Ryan Murphy’s new anthology series, Feud, is set to premiere, FX has revealed the subjects of the show’s second installment: Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Murphy and playwright/TV writer Jon Robin Baitz will write and executive-produce the season.
Feud: Charles and Diana will debut in 2018, following Feud: Bette and Joan, which premieres its eight-episode season on Sunday and focuses on the dispute(s) between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford during production of the 1962 thriller Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
While both installments take on heavily photographed and televised public figures, the conflict between Charles and Diana is a far cry from movie-set squabbling. It’s hard enough for actors to portray other famous, larger-than-life performers, but taking on a beloved icon like Diana Spencer is another story. Prince Charles has become a bit of a caricature, but Lady Di is such a revered figure and is so rarely depicted in a fictionalized context, it’s going to be tricky to pull this off respectfully without sacrificing entertainment. Stay tuned for casting announcements, and wish this production team godspeed.