LOS ANGELES, Sept 13: “Breaking Bad” executive producers Vince Gilligan and Michelle MacLaren are reuniting to develop a limited series about American leader Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple for HBO.
“Raven”, developed with Sony Pictures Television, will follow the story of the Peoples Temple from its idealistic origins to it tragic ending in Jonestown in 1978, reported Variety.
Gilligan, MacLaren and Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer will executive produce the series with Gilligan writing and MacLaren directing. Reilly Smith will serve as co-producer.
Founded in the 1950s in Indiana by Jones, the Peoples Temple of the Disciples of Christ blended a message of socialism with Christian teachings.
The organisation eventually moved to California, spreading throughout the state. Under intense media scrutiny, Jones and many of his followers fled to a settlement in Guyana in 1977.
On November 18, 1978, members of the Peoples Temple killed US Representative Leo Ryan, journalists traveling with him and members of the group attempting to leave Guyana with the Congressman, who had visited Jonestown to investigate allegations of abuse of group members there.
That evening, Jones and his followers engaged in a mass suicide; 918 people died, among them 276 children.
The story of Jonestown was previously adapted into the 1980 television miniseries “Guyana Tragedy”, starring Powers Boothe as Jones.
The HBO miniseries marks the first project together for Gilligan and MacLaren since working together on AMC’s “Breaking Bad”.
Gilligan currently serves as executive producer on “Breaking Bad” prequel “Better Call Saul” for AMC.
MacLaren has served as a director on ‘Game of Thrones”, “The Walking Dead” and David Simon’s “The Deuce”. She is also set to direct the feature-film adaptation of Kristin Hannah’s “The Nightingale”. (PTI)
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