Fans of The Paramount Network’s hit 2018 miniseries Waco are in luck. The series is being revived for a spinoff, and it is being set up to allow for a much broader exploration of this infamous story. According to a report by Deadline, the new series is called American Tragedies: Waco — The Trials.
After the success of Waco in 2018, The Paramount Corporation quickly announced plans for a follow-up, but they are just now coming to fruition. This spinoff — or sequel, if you prefer — was originally called American Tragedy. The expanded title is a good hint that there may be more miniseries exploring more facets of the tragedy in Waco, Texas. For now, The Trials will reportedly start by dramatizing the legal aftermath and portraying how David Koresh’s (Taylor Kitsch) work influenced the “Patriot” movement, which ultimately led to the Oklahoma City bombing years later.
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This sequel will see John Leguizamo reprising his role as ATF agent Jacob Vasquez, who was an undercover operative in the first miniseries working for the ATF. Costabile joins the cast as Judge Smith, overseeing the trial of Koresh’s followers – “Branch Davidians” – after the massacre. Cameron will play the leader of the surviving Brand Davidians Lois Roden. Other new cast members include Giovanni Ribisi as the Davidians’ lawyer Dan Cogdell, John Hoogenakker as Davidian survivor Clive Doyle, Keean Johnson as a younger version of Koresh himself and Abbey Lee as double-agent Carole Howe.
For those unaware, Waco tells the story of a violent standoff between government agents and a cult in Waco, Texas in 1993. An offshoot of a Christian church massed around charismatic leader David Koresh, who led the group in stockpiling weapons, among other alleged crimes. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms attempted to execute a search warrant on the cult’s compound, leading to a firefight between the agents and the residents inside. It took federal agents 51 days to penetrate the compound, and in the end 86 people were killed.
The Waco TV miniseries dramatized this standoff in six episodes, each about an hour long. It starred Taylor Kitsch as Koresh and several other stars who have not been confirmed for the spinoff yet. The series is streaming now on Paramount+. American Tragedies: Waco – The Trials is expected to premiere in 2023 in coordination with the 30th anniversary of the tragedy itself.
