What We Know About the Upcoming Seasons of 'American Crime Story' So Far

American Crime Story is a true crime anthology series that was developed by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, with Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk as executive producers. Its debut season, subtitled The People v. O. J. Simpson, aired on FX in early 2016. The season, based on the 1996 novel The Run of His Life: The People v. O. J. Simpson by Jeffrey Toobin, documented the infamous murder trial of football running back Orenthal James "O. J." Simpson, who was accused of stabbing his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, to their deaths in 1994. Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. took on the role of O. J. himself, alongside other notable actors including Sarah Paulson as Marcia Clark, David Schwimmer as Robert Kardashian, John Travolta as Robert Shapiro, and many others.

The People v. O. J. Simpson received critical acclaim, earning a 96 percent average rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In a review for Entertainment Weekly, Jeff Jensen wrote, "American Crime Story is a meticulously crafted, powerfully resonant docudrama that crackles with timely issues––race, sexism, privilege, celebrity, broken justice, media manipulation, and more." Furthermore, the season won several Primetime Emmy awards such as Outstanding Limited Series, and Outstanding Casting for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special.

Then, the series presented its sophomore season in early 2018––two years later––that was based on the 2010 novel Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U.S. History by Maureen Orth, subtitled The Assassination of Gianni Versace. The season followed the tragic death of Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace, who was shot and killed outside his Miami beach mansion by Andrew Cunanan in 1997. It went in-depth with Cunanan, the victims of his barbarity––Jeffrey Trail, David Madson, Lee Miglin, William Reese, and Versace––and his relations to each of them.

The Assassination of Gianni Versace garnered mostly positive reviews from critics, even though it did not quite surpass the success of season one. It was given an 88 percent average score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. It earned the series a number of awards as well, particularly fixating on Darren Criss' portrayal of Cunanan––and not to mention their uncanny resemblances. In a praising review for USA Today, Kelly Lawler wrote, "The series is grounded by sublime performances, led by Criss." In a negative review for The Guardian, on the other hand, Stuart Heritage wrote, "[The Assassination of Gianni Versace] is a vastly different beast, and its weakest moments come when it overtly tries to ape the Simpson series."

What is next for American Crime Story?

As for its supposed third season, it was announced in 2017 that it was going to surround the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina––Sheri Fink's 2013 novel Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital as its source material––and that production would begin sometime in 2018. Also, Sarah Paulson has been confirmed to be making her return to the series as Dr. Anna Pou.

In a recent interview with Ryan Murphy from the HELLO! News website, however, he vaguely explained the series's future installments, "I've pitched [Donald] Trump a lot, as a topic in general. We're taking our time with it." Then, he added, "We have a lot of [ideas] we're working on, but nothing has come up to the forefront yet; nothing I would feel comfortable saying."

Murphy has intertwined political matters into his shows before, with American Horror Story's seventh season, subtitled Cult, entirely comprised of modern politics (specifically involving current president Donald Trump and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton). So, if he were to settle on a theme that incorporates Trump's presidency thus far, it certainly would not be the first time.

Any further details about the upcoming seasons remain unknown for the most part, but with time, presumably, more will be revealed.