Breaking BadduoVince GilliganandMichelle MacLarenare reuniting for an HBO miniseries, so if you were looking for a reason to smile today, there you go. The pair has reunited for a drama based on the infamous cult leader Jim Jones who led the followers of his Peoples Temple to horrific mass suicide in Jonestown, Guyana. Gilligan will write the miniseries and MacLaren will direct. Both will executive produce alongsideOctavia Spencer, who optioned the rights to the source material four years ago, for Sony Pictures TV. Spencer is not expected to act in the project.
The series is based on the non-fiction book ‘Raven: The Untold Story of the Rev. Jim Jones and His People’ byTim Reiterman, a journalist who survived the events in Gyuana. The book is described as the definitive history of the Jim Jones and The People’s Temple, spanning from its idealistic beginning through its tragic end.
Gilligan and MacLaren, who first collaborated onThe X-Filesepisode John Doe, share two best drama series Emmys as executive producers of Breaking Bad. MacLaren also directed the standout episode “Mijo” on Gilligan’s critically acclaimedBreaking Badspinoff seriesBetter Call Saul(which is up for a Best Drama Emmy this year).
MacLaren has also recently directed episodes ofThe Walking Dead,Game of Thrones, andThe Leftovers, as well as episodes of the upcomingDavid SimondramaThe Deuceand HBO’s highly-anticipatedWestworldseries. MacLaren was previously attached to directWonder Woman,but that deal fell through andPatty Jenkinsstepped. She is currently slated to make herfeature film directorial debut with an adaptation ofKristin Hannah’s best-selling World War II novel,The Nightingale.
Here’s the official synopsis for Raven, via Amazon.
Tim Reiterman’sRavenprovides the definitive history of the Rev. Jim Jones, the Peoples Temple, and the murderous ordeal at Jonestown three decades ago. This PEN Award–winning work explores the ideals-gone-wrong, the intrigue, and the grim realities behind the Peoples Temple and its implosion in the jungle of South America. Reiterman’s reportage clarifies enduring misperceptions of the character and motives of Jim Jones, the reasons why people followed him, and the important truth that many of those who perished at Jonestown were victims of mass murder rather than suicide.
