'American Horror Story' crime counterpart tackles O.J. Simpson trial

[October 08, 2014]  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - With "American Horror Story" drumming up scares for cable channel FX, its new companion series "American Crime Story" will serve those drawn to real life criminal investigations, the network said on Tuesday.

"American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson" is the next venture for "American Horror Story" creator Ryan Murphy and will employ the same anthology miniseries format, taking on real life crimes that have captured headlines.

The first season will explore the 1995 murder trial of American football star O.J. Simpson from the lawyers' perspectives over 10 episodes, Fox Broadcasting's FX network said in a statement.

Simpson, 67, was acquitted of murder but is now in prison on a 2008 armed robbery conviction related to a robbery of two sports memorabilia dealers at a Las Vegas hotel.

"The O.J. case was as tragic as it was fascinating – it seemed like everyone had a stake in the outcome. It was really the beginning of the modern tabloid age," Murphy said.

The series, directed by Murphy, is based on the book "The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson," by Jeffrey Toobin. The network has not announced any cast for the show yet.

Emmy-nominated "American Horror Story," from "Glee" creators Murphy and Brad Falchuck, has a new storyline and cast of characters each season, the latest of which will take audiences to the "Freak Show," premiering Wednesday.

(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Patricia Reaney and Steve Orlofsky)

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