Bill Hader and Daniel Zelman Co-Creating Series About the Jonestown Cult at HBO With Hader in Talks to Star

Bill Hader (SNL, Barry) and Daniel Zelman are working on a series about the Reverend Jim Jones, the charismatic cult leader behind the 1978 mass-murder suicide at the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project (aka Jonestown) in the Guyanese jungle. The project is in development at HBO, and the pair are set to co-write and co-showrun the series. Hader is also in talks to star as well.

Hader also will direct if the project moves forward. According to the logline, the project tells the story of Jones and his people.

Jonestown became internationally infamous in November 1978 when Jones orchestrated a mass murder-suicide of more than 900 members of his Peoples Temple in Jonestown, Guyana.

The majority of deaths were caused by cyanide-laced fruit punch, with some being forced to ingest the poison, while others were injected. The poisonings followed the murder of U.S. Congressman Leo Ryan by Temple members at Port Kaituma, ordered by Jones.

Four other members committed murder-suicide in Georgetown, Guyana at Jones’ command. Jones had led his followers to Guyana from the U.S., promising them a utopian community, but his leadership became increasingly paranoid and controlling.

via: Deadline