After repeatedly veering into darker realms with his HBO comedy, 'Barry,' Bill Hader's next venture at the network promises to be anything but a laugh-riot. Teaming up with Daniel Zelman (renowned for 'Damages' and 'Bloodline'), Hader is developing a gripping drama centered around Jonestown, the notorious site of the tragic 1978 massacre where over 900 members of the Peoples Temple, led by Jim Jones, lost their lives. Hader is not only directing the project but may also star in it, pending its greenlight.
The upcoming project delves into "the tale of Reverend Jim Jones and his followers," as its logline succinctly puts it. Hader and Zelman are not only penning the script but also serving as executive producers.
Jonestown has been extensively chronicled in numerous books and documentaries since the November 1978 massacre, where more than 900 members of the Peoples Temple perished in Guyana after consuming poisoned Flavor Aid. Jones himself met a gunshot wound, likely self-inflicted. The harrowing events were also portrayed in a 1980 Emmy-winning miniseries starring Powers Boothe as Jones. Furthermore, a fictional Jonestown project helmed by Martin Scorsese even featured prominently in the opening episode of Apple TV+'s comedy series, 'The Studio.'
Hader co-created 'Barry' with Alec Berg and boasts a writing resume that includes 'Saturday Night Live,' where he was a cast member for eight years, and 'Documentary Now!'. Zelman, who co-created 'Damages' and 'Bloodline' with Glenn and Todd A. Kessler, also served as a consulting producer on the first season of 'Succession.'
