Here at Fangirlish, we are big fans of Ryan Murphy and his work. We’ve been following his stuff since Popular was on The WB (Yes, we’re dating ourselves here), and of course, we love Glee, too. He’s also known for shows like the surgical drama Nip/Tuck and, in recent years, his very popular and wildly successful anthologies, which include American Horror Story, American Crime Story, and Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, to name a few. We enjoy all of these, but one of our favorites is definitely Feud, an anthology that centers on famous feuds. Season one focused on the feud between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. This time around, the second season titled Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans is all about Author Truman Capote and his relationship with a group of female New York socialites whom he referred to as “swans.”
Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans is based on the book Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song For an Era by Laurence Leamer. The story follows Capote’s relationship with the “Swans” from the 1970s until he died in 1984. It will focus on his bitter feud with the ladies after he released an excerpt from his unpublished book Answered Prayers. The excerpt La Côte Basque, 1965, printed in Esquire Magazine, was filled with secrets the women believed they had told him in confidence. Once this piece was released, he essentially burned bridges with each other because he could no longer be trusted. We gotta tell you, there is nothing worse than befriending someone who is just going to turn around and tell the world your business.
This sounds like an episode of the most dramatic reality TV show, and to know this happened in real life is wild, considering there is drama like this still going on in 2023. That’s one of the things we love so much about Murphy and these projects. He sheds light on stories we might not have been familiar with because this writer honestly had NO idea who the “Swans” were. The first look and the released poster drew me in and made me want to look into this story. I knew who Truman Capote was, but that was where my knowledge stopped. That’s why I can’t wait to see this series.
Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans was directed by Gus Van Sant and as per usual, it has a star-studded cast. Starring in the series are Naomi Watts as Barbara “Babe” Paley, Diane Lane as Slim Keith, Demi Moore as Ann “Bang-Bang” Woodward, Chloe Sevigny as C.Z. Guest, Calista Flockhart as Lee Radziwill, Molly Ringwald as Joanne Carson, the late Treat Williams as Bill Paley, and starring as Capote, Tom Hollander. There are eight episodes in the limited series, and it is set to premiere on January 31st. We will be seated and ready for all the drama to unfold.
Below is a first look at all the ladies and gentlemen in Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans and we must say that’s just added to our excitement.
You can also check out the stunning but oddly creepy (because they all have swan necks) official Feud: Capote vs. The Swans poster. The Swans, as well.
