Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange will play Bette Davis and Joan Crawford in a new drama which lifts the lid on the Hollywood icons' bitter rivalry
A new drama is heading to BBC2 documenting one of the juiciest rivalries in Hollywood and promising to be packed full of glamour, wit, glitz and grit.
The eight-part series called Feud: Bette and Joan, stars award winning actresses Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange as they take on the roles of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford to document the Hollywood stars' legendary rivalry.
Created by Ryan Murphy, who also wrote the BAFTA award-winning 'The People vs OJ. Simpson: American Crime Story', the series was released in the US last year to critical acclaim and has now been snapped up by the Beeb.
Feud: Bette and Joan – what's it all about?
The drama tells the story of Bette and Joan's collaboration on the 1962 horror movie 'What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?' where their feud initially began and will show how the pair's rivalry carried on running long after the cameras stopped filming.
Sarandon, (Bette Davis), and Lange, (Joan Crawford), will also show how the glamorous duo battled with ageism, sexism and misogyny as they struggled to cling to onto the success of their early careers. Meanwhile Catherine Zeta-Jones will star as Hollywood actress, Olivia de Havilland, while Kathy Bates will portray Joan Blondell.
Sue Deeks, BBC Head of Programme Acquisition, says: “BBC Two viewers will relish this critically-acclaimed portrayal of Old Hollywood and a famously combustible yet poignant relationship - it is a zesty cocktail of glamour, wit and grit.”
Controller of BBC2, Patrick Holland, added: " I am delighted that Ryan Murphy's brilliantly realised series Feud: Bette and Joan is coming to the channel. It features some wonderful performances, a flawless recreation of period and a delicious unravelling of a personal drama that had a massive impact on modern cinema. Feud is a real treat."
Feud: Bette and Joan will air on BBC2 later this year.
