Advertisement

The First Trailer For 'Impeachment: American Crime Story' Has Dropped And It Is Full Of Suspense

Photo credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin - Getty Images
Photo credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin - Getty Images

The third series of the American Crime Story franchise will be returning to screens later this year.

The awards season-dominating brainchild of Ryan Murphy will, this time, centre around the impeachment proceedings against President Bill Clinton and his 'inappropriate relationship' with Monica Lewinsky which led to it.

Confirmation of the show - Impeachment: American Crime Story - occurred at the Television Critics Association (TCA) 2019 summer press tour and, since then, there have been nuggets of information released about what we can expect.

Here's everything we know about the 2021 series...

What Is Impeachment: American Crime Story and what other series have there been?

Much like Murphy's other baby, American Horror Story, the programme appears and reappears in various forms, taking on different focusses and storylines. So far, every storyline has been based on real life events.

Revisiting cases, the programme delves deeper, to examine highly-publicised crimes and events in a more nuanced way.

Photo credit: Frazer Harrison - Getty Images
Photo credit: Frazer Harrison - Getty Images

American Crime Story first came to TV in 2016 with the People vs OJ Simpson. It looked back at the infamous 1994 'trial of the century' which saw the football player found not guilty of the murders of his wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman. The multi-award winning show had an all-star cast including Cuba Gooding Jnr as Simpson, John Travolta, Sarah Paulson and David Schwimmer as Robert Kardashian, lawyer to OJ and father to Kourtney, Kim, Khloe and Rob.

Two years later the franchise was back with The Assassination of Gianni Versace, telling the story of the murder of the fashion designer at the hands of serial killer Andrew Cunanan and starred Penelope Cruz as Donatella Versace.

Which story will Impeachment: American Crime Story be based on?

The series will be based on the book A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President, by journalist Jeffrey Toobin, which looked into the sex scandals and allegations involving Bill Clinton.

'Impeachment: American Crime Story will explore the overlooked dimensions of the women who found themselves caught up in the scandal and political war that cast a long shadow over the Clinton presidency,' the chairman of FX Productions Kohn Landgraf said in a statement, according to Variety.

Photo credit: Getty Images
Photo credit: Getty Images

In 1998, it came to light that President Clinton had engaged in a relationship with Monica Lewinsky, who was a 22-year-old intern in the White House. Impeachment proceedings against the President started at the end of 1998 but he was acquitted of all charges and remained as the US head of state until the 2000 election.

Having an AMC series chronicle the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal was first touted as an idea in 2017 but then was put on hold in 2018, reportedly because Murphy wanted Lewinsky personally involved...

Photo credit: Getty Images - Getty Images
Photo credit: Getty Images - Getty Images

On August 2, the first look image of Impeachment was shared, showing the Lewinsky character - fittingly, in a blue coat/dress - looking up at the White House:

Who will star in Impeachment: American Crime Story?

It's been confirmed that Lewinsky will serve as an executive producer for the series. Saying she was initially 'hesitant and truthfully more than a little scared to sign on' she had reconsidered being part of the show after a 'lengthy' dinner with Murphy.

Photo credit: Dia Dipasupil - Getty Images
Photo credit: Dia Dipasupil - Getty Images

'People have been co-opting and telling my part in this story for decades,' she told Vanity Fair. 'In fact, it wasn't until the past few years that I've been able to fully reclaim my narrative; almost 20 years later.'

Already announced as cast members are Booksmart's Beanie Feldstein, who will take on the role of Lewinsky and Sarah Paulson - a serial cast member for anything made by Murphy - who will play Linda Tripp, the former US civil servant who recorded and then exposed her conversations with Lewinsky at the time.

The Clintons will be portrayed by veteran actors, Clive Own as Bill and Edie Falco as Hillary.

Annaleigh Ashford will play Paula Jones, a woman who sued Clinton of accusations of sexual harassment (which he denies to this day). Taran Killam of Saturday Night Live fame will play her husband Steve Jones.

Also in the star-studded cast is comedian Billy Eichner, who will play Matt Drudge the founder of conservative news aggregator The Drudge Report, which first broke the stories about the Lewinsky scandal.

Lucianne Goldberg, the literary agent who advised Tripp to tape Lewinsky's phone calls, will be played by Dexter and The Good Wife actor Margo Martindale.

According to the BBC, Landgraf said he would not be reaching out to Bill or Hillary Clinton to seek their input ahead of the show's production.

Photo credit: Frazer Harrison - Getty Images
Photo credit: Frazer Harrison - Getty Images

When will Impeachment: American Crime Story be on TV?

Though the US premiere was initially slated for September 2020, it's now been confirmed that the show will come to screens on September 7, 2021.

The BBC has previously aired both of the FX series close to their release in the United States but have so far not made any comment as to whether they will, or if so when, broadcast Impeachment: American Crime Story.

Is there a trailer for Impeachment: American Crime Story?

The first minute-long teaser trailer dropped on August 4, following Feldstein as Lewinsky walking through the halls of the White House on her way to see President Clinton (Owen). Carrying a gift of a tie she bought for Clinton, we don't see the front of Lewinsky as she is buzzed into the Oval office, where a blurred Clinton is waiting behind his desk.

Feldstein's friends and colleagues, Booksmart's Kaitlyn Dever, and best friend The Politician star Ben Platt were two of the many fans that offered their reaction to the suspense-inducing teaser on the star's Instagram.

'I have no breath,' wrote Dever, while Platt echoed the sentiments of many saying: 'Held my breath for the whole minute so not sure how I’m gonna watch the show....'

You Might Also Like