The story of Patty Hearst’s kidnapping and subsequent trial is in development at CBS as a limited series, TheWrap has learned.
In 1974, Hearst, granddaughter of publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst, was abducted from her Berkeley, California, apartment by the terrorist group, the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA).
The 19-month FBI/police search and the subsequent capture of Hearst, who turned into a SLA sympathizer and changed her name to Tania, captivated the nation and played out on the nightly news through the course of her trial.
The series will be written and executive produced by Jonathan Tolins, who was the writer for Fox’s recent musical event, “Grease Live.”
Jonathan Koch, Steve Michaels, Rocky Lang and Joan Harrison will serve as executive producers on the project as well. CBS Television Studios will produce in association with Asylum Entertainment.
True crime stories have become incredibly popular in recent years. Cuba Gooding Jr. earned rave reviews as O.J. Simpson in the FX limited series “People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.”
In addition, NBC is currently working on their own true crime series with super-producer Dick Wolf. The first installment of “Law & Order: True Crime” will dramatize the trial of brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez for the 1989 murder of their parents.