Why ‘American Crime Story’ Will Air ‘Assassination of Gianni Versace’ Ahead Of ‘Katrina’

Darren Criss will play the role of Andrew Cunanan in “The Assassination of Gianni Versace” much sooner than expected. Pictured: Criss at the Tony Awards Radio City Music Hall in New York on June 11, 2017. Getty Images/Mike Coppola

“American Crime Story” is changing the release schedule of their two upcoming installments, “The Assassination of Gianni Versace” and “Katrina.”

According to Deadline, “Katrina” was supposed to be released ahead of “Versace,” but FX decided to switch things up. “Versace” will now air sometime in 2018, while “Katrina” will follow a year later.

According to TV Line, “Versace” was also scheduled to shoot first before “Katrina,” but the latter would have still been the one to air first on the network. But since “Katrina” is experiencing delays in terms of logistics, the team ultimately decided to film and release “Versace” first.

Read: “The Assassination of Gianni Versace” first official photo released

FX president John Landgraf spoke with the publication earlier this year to share the reason behind the delays. While at the Television Critics Association winter press tour, he said, “It’s just taken us time, frankly, to get material we’re happy with for Katrina. When you’re shooting in New Orleans, you have to worry about hurricanes. You can only shoot there during certain times of the year.”

Meanwhile, the filming for “Katrina” has been moved to 2018. Talks are also underway to make sure that the actors that have been cast will still be available by then. As of late, Annette Bening, Dennis Quaid and Matthew Broderick are still having conversations with the people behind “American Crime Story.”

“The Assassination of Gianni Versace” will center on famed fashion designer Gianni Versace, who was killed in his home in Miami in 1997. Actor Edgar Ramirez will be playing the role of Gianni, while the designer’s killer, Andrew Cunanan, will be portrayed by “Glee” alum Darren Criss. Gianni’s sister, Donatella, will be played by Penelope Cruz, while Gianni’s longtime partner, Antonio D’Amico, will be portrayed by Ricky Martin.

In May, “American Crime Story” creator Ryan Murphy shared a photo of “New Girl” star Max Greenfield on the set of “Versace.” In the snap, Greenfield is seen with his co-star, Criss. However, the actor’s role is still being kept under wraps. The network also dropped the first official photo of Donatella from the series towards the end of May.