A subset of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, The Branch Davidians, led by David Koresh, had been operating their organization out of Waco since 1955.
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Waco doesn’t have a network yet, but Weinstein is planning to shop it around in September. Taylor Kitsch will play David Koresh, with Michael Shannon as lead Federal Bureau of Investigation negotiator Gary Noesner.
For those who are unfamiliar with the standoff, it involved a 51-day siege of the compound that housed the Branch Davidians following a gunfight that left four ATF agents and six Branch Davidians dead.
The miniseries will recount the freakish chapter that saw Koresh’s obscure Christian sect dominate national headlines during the 51-day siege of the compound that housed his Branch Davidian followers. Brothers John Erick Dowdle and Drew Dowdle (No Escape) will write the series with John directing. The show will be told from multiple perspectives on either side of the historic conflict. On the big screen, his credits include Battleship and John Carter.
The drama is largely based on two books about the incident, Noesner’s “Sinful Messiah” and “A Place Called Waco”, by Branch Davidian David Thibodeau, who was one of nine survivors of the fatal fire.
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Harvey Wesinstein, TWC co-head of production Jennifer Malloy and Megan Spanjian of Weinstein Television said in a joint statement: “We’re thrilled to be collaborating with John and Drew again”. Shannon, Kitsch, and the Dowdle brothers will executive produce the series. This event series will explore the truth behind this tragedy and speaks directly to the heart of the current issues between citizens, law enforcement and the media. The Waco standoff is still a fascinating piece of recent American history, and while modern standoffs with the government have gotten a bit more…irreverent…it will be interesting to see how the Dowdles tackle the subject, especially with talented actors like Kitsch and Shannon in the lead roles.
