Naomi Watts and Chlo? Sevigny Star in Gus Van Sant’s ‘Feud: Capote vs. the Swans’ for FX: First Look

Samantha Bergeson

September 27, 2023 at 10:30 PM·2 min read

There’s a new feud brewing amongst the historic top New York City socialites.

The second installment of Ryan Murphy’s “Feud” anthology series, titled “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans,” centers on Truman Capote’s inner circle of “swans,” a term he coined to describe his wealthy female socialite friends.

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“The White Lotus” scene-stealer Tom Hollander portrays Capote, with Naomi Watts, Chlo? Sevigny, Molly Ringwald, Calista Flockhart, and Diane Lane as his close friends, whose exploits Capote infamously wrote about in the short story “La C?te Basque 1965” for Esquire, which was published in 1975. Capote was attempting to write the shelved novel “Answered Prayers” and used his friends’ gossip and secrets as fodder.

“Feud: Capote vs. the Swans” tells the stories of Ann Woodward (Watts), C. Z. Guest (Sevigny), Lee Radziwill (Flockhart), Slim Keith (Lane), and Joanne Carson (Ringwald) during the 1970s. Late actor Treat Williams also stars as Watt’s onscreen husband, CBS News icon and media tycoon Bill Paley, marking his final role.

Based on Laurence Leamer’s bestselling nonfiction book “Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era,” the limited series culminates in Capote’s death in 1984. Tony and Pulitzer-nominated Jon Robin Baitz adapted the book for the screen and wrote all eight episodes; Baitz also serves as showrunner.

Oscar-nominated director Gus Van Sant directs the series, which marks the follow-up to 2017’s “Feud” about Joan Crawford (Jessica Lange) and Bette Davis (Susan Sarandon).

Brad Pitt’s Plan B is executive producing along with series creator Murphy. Plan B’s Dede Gardner, Tim Minear, and Alexis Martin Woodall all return to produce after being behind “Feud: Bette and Joan.” The series comes from 20th Television, producing with Plan B Entertainment and Ryan Murphy Productions.

“Feud: Capote vs. the Swans” premieres in 2024 on FX and will stream on Hulu. Check out first-look photos below.