Annette Bening to Star in FX’s Next ‘American Crime Story’ Installment, ‘Katrina’

Annette Bening has signed on to star in “Katrina: American Crime Story,” the next installment in Ryan Murphy’s FX anthology series.

Bening will play Kathleen Blanco, who was Governor of Louisiana during and after Hurricane Katrina, in the limited-run series from Murphy, Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson.

READ MORE: ‘American Crime Story,’ ‘Atlanta’ Delays: Why FX Hits Sometimes Go On Long Hiatuses

FX announced last month that “Katrina,” which is the follow-up to “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story,” won’t be ready until 2018. That’s to allow producers more time to craft the story; but the delay was also attributed to Hurricane season-related insurance issues.

Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco in 2005

Larry W. Smith/EPA/REX/Shutterstock

Production on the series’ third installment, about the murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace, will actually take place before “Katrina.” That will allow FX to air both editions within six months of each other in 2018, and perhaps put the show on a more regular schedule.

READ MORE: ’20th Century Women’ Exclusive Featurette: Annette Bening and Mike Mills Discuss Inspirations of New Family Drama — Watch

Bening, a four-time Academy Award nominee and two-time Golden Globe-winner, stars in the current Mike Mills release “20th Century Women.” She was also seen in Warren Beatty’s “Rules Don’t Apply” and next appears in Michael Mayer’s adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s play “The Seagull” and Paul McGuigan’s “Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool.”

Her other film credits include “Danny Collins,” “The Search,” “Girl Most Likely,” “The Kids are Alright,” “Being Julia,” “American Beauty,” “In Dreams,” “The Siege,” “The American President,” “Mars Attacks,” “Love Affair,” “Bugsy,” “Regarding Henry,” “Postcards from the Edge” and “The Great Outdoors.”

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