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Bill Hader to Co-Write, Potentially Star in Jonestown Series in Development at HBO

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Bill Hader Jonestown

It turns out Bill Hader has been drinking the Kool-Aid.

Variety has learned exclusively that Hader and Daniel Zelman are currently developing an HBO series centered on Jim Jones and the infamous events at the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, a.k.a. Jonestown.

According to an individual with knowledge of the project, Hader is being eyed to potentially star in the show as well. Hader is co-writing with Zelman, with both serving as co-showrunners and executive producers. Hader would also direct should the project move forward.

News of the series comes not long after a Jonestown movie served as a central plot point in an episode of the critically-acclaimed Apple TV+ series “The Studio.” Neither Martin Scorsese nor Steve Buscemi are involved in the HBO project at this time.

Jones founded the Peoples Temple in the 1950s and established what became known as Jonestown in the 1970s in the nation of Guyana. Jonestown came to international attention when over 900 members of the Peoples Temple, including Jones, died in a mass murder-suicide at Jones’ direction in 1978.

Jones and Jonestown have been the subject of intense media attention ever since. Multiple books and documentaries have been released, while Powers Boothe starred as Jones in the two-part CBS miniseries “Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones” in 1980. “Breaking Bad” creator Vince Gilligan was also developing a Jonestown series at HBO beginning in 2016, but the project did not move forward.

Hader as Jim Jones? Oh Yeah!

Edited by RPM

  • Author
1 minute ago, mdmost said:

Kool-Aid?

You don't get the reference?

 

48 minutes ago, RPM said:

You don't get the reference?

 

Au contraire!

The pilot episode of "The Studio" was centered around a Jonestown/Kool-Aid bit. See article: 

Quote

News of the series comes not long after a Jonestown movie served as a central plot point in an episode of the critically-acclaimed Apple TV+ series “The Studio.” Neither Martin Scorsese nor Steve Buscemi are involved in the HBO project at this time.

 

The point is that it wasn’t kool-aid it was flavor aid 

 

and- the outtakes of bill breaking into uncontrolled laughter will be a little more awkward with this. 

  • Author

Haven't watched that episode (but I did read it in the story) so I'll give the benefit of the doubt. I kinda remember living through the real thing and former WFAA reporter Don Harris getting ambushed at the airstrip.

A fascinating story that could be spectacular done right. But counting on the guy (Zelman) who wrote Fool's Gold and Anacondas is a gamble.

I love seeing this career trajectory for Hader.  If you're interested in a Jonestown movie to watch in the meantime, I saw this years ago at its premiere at Fantastic Fest and really liked it:

 

 

vince gilligan was working on a jonestown limited series for hbo, but i heard that literally while breaking bad was ending, so maybe it's in turnaround.

They should make a movie about a cult that has destroyed many more lives. 

Texas Am Win GIF by Texas A&M University

1 hour ago, Deej said:

They should make a movie about a cult that has destroyed many more lives. 

Texas Am Win GIF by Texas A&M University

Already been done

250px-Weve_Never_Been_Licked_1943_poster.jpg

23 hours ago, mdmost said:

Kool-Aid?

Studio reference aside well actually they used Flavor Aid cause he was a cheap ass drug addict.

A fascinating story that could be spectacular done right. But counting on the guy (Zelman) who wrote Fool's Gold and Anacondas is a gamble.

I was in Fool’s Gold, so this should be awesome.
15 hours ago, hobbes2702 said:

Isn’t there also a Jonestown movie in the works with Leo?

there is... but first he's gotta do Teddy Roosevelt, and HH Holmes, and Sinatra, Leonardo DaVinci, and Ulysses S Grant...

ha just kidding, i have no idea what order those movies are gong to be in and Scorsese is involved in most, but he's 82 so chances are he's not gonna get to finish most of them...but holy crap Leo's future dance card is literally nothing but real people lol

 

50 minutes ago, mchookem said:

there is... but first he's gotta do Teddy Roosevelt, and HH Holmes, and Sinatra, Leonardo DaVinci, and Ulysses S Grant...

ha just kidding, i have no idea what order those movies are gong to be in and Scorsese is involved in most, but he's 82 so chances are he's not gonna get to finish most of them...but holy crap Leo's future dance card is literally nothing but real people lol

I know who should play Grant.

Spoiler


latest?cb=20170214013910&ehk=gVAQsUO0YHw

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Edited by atomheartbevo

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