After a great first season, which won accolades for its story and performances, and a five-year hiatus, we are finally getting a new season of Ryan Murphy’s Feud. The news was announced by FX on April 1st and thankfully wasn’t an April’s Fool joke. It also came with the exciting news that Gus Van Sant, the filmmaker behind 1991’s My Own Private Idaho and the Palme d’Or winner Elephant, is set to direct the new season.

Feud is a Ryan Murphy-created TV series that tells the stories behind the biggest and most popular fights in the world of the rich and famous. Its first season, which premiered in 2017, tells the story of the famous fight between Joan Crawford and Bette Davis during and after the production of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962). In the movie, both actresses are protagonists. The season starred Susan Sarandon and frequent Murphy collaborator Jessica Lange. It also explored women aging in the film industry and the actresses’ personal lives. Season one was critically acclaimed, with major praise for Lange and Sarandon’s performances. It left everyone excited for a second season.

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Even before the first season’s premiere, FX had already renewed the series for a 10-episode-run based on the royal family. It would also cover the famous divorce of Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales, and had the subtitle Charles and Diana. Matthew Good and Rosamund Pike were cast in the leading roles, but the plans were scrapped in August 2018. Murphy later declared that he was still set to make new seasons of Feud. However, in 2019, he commented that he had no plans due to his deal with Netflix but was open to a new show season. Feud was left in limbo until FX decided to renew it in 2022, with Jon Robin Baitz to act as a showrunner and writer.

Let’s look at what to expect from Feud’s new season and why we are so excited about it!

What Is in Store for Feud: Capote’s Women

     G.P. Putnam's Sons

Feud season 2 will officially be titled Feud: Capote’s Women. It will focus on the relationships and betrayal by Truman Capote, the famous American journalist, in regards to his New York socialite friends after he published the short story “La Côte Basque” in 1965. The short story was considered a betrayal of the socialites due to Capote revealing some of their most scandalous secrets through characters who were poorly disguised versions of Capote’s friends. One of the women, Barbara “Babe” Paley, will be played by Oscar-nominated Naomi Watts (Mulholland Drive, Birdman).

Feud’s new season will be based on Laurence Leamer’s 2021 novel Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era, which tells the story of the incident. The Gus Van Sant-directed eight-episode season will be written by Brothers & Sisters creator Jon Robin Baitz. Besides Naomi Watts playing a protagonist, the cast is yet to be announced.

From the novel’s official synopsis:

Why Are We Excited for the New Season?

     Netflix

When it was released, Feud was a cultural reset. Besides having a fascinating plot portraying one of the most infamous celebrity fights of the Golden Age of Hollywood, the series also brought some meaningful discussions about how older women are treated in the film industry and how maternity is perceived. The fact that Joan Crawford and Bette Davis had a mutual admiration for each other is also explored in the series, making its characters extremely more profound and interesting than one might expect going into the show.

Having a second season of Feud is an opportunity not only to see exciting stories of historical fights on our television: it’s also a chance to know a little more about the parts of these stories, learn about a specific time in history, and perceive a part of the pop culture that influences our world until now. Feud: Bette and Joan was a masterclass on pop culture, how it affects our routine, and, last but not least, how to make great television shows. We can’t wait to see what the new season will bring for those reasons!

Feud Season 2 Premiere Date

The network has not announced a release date for Feud: Capote’s Women.