Bill Hader, who garnered critical acclaim for HBO’s Barry, is set to return to the network with a series centered on Jonestown and cult leader Rev. Jim Jones. The show, which is in the early stages of development, will see Hader serve as a co-executive producer, co-writer, and co-showrunner alongside Daniel Zelman, who is best known for his work on Damages and Bloodline. According to Variety, Hader will also direct if the project moves forward, and could potentially star.
Hader’s return to HBO is notable, given the success of his last network outing, Barry. The dark comedy concluded in 2023, after a critically acclaimed four-season run. Along with co-creating the series, serving as a writer, and directing several episodes, Hader starred as the titular character, a US Marine turned disillusioned hitman who discovers a passion for acting. The series earned Hader two Emmys in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series category. The show garnered a total of 16 Emmy nods.
.

Related

The Best TV Shows and Miniseries About Cults

If you’re fascinated by cults and their leaders, these fictional and true crime TV series might give you an insight into what it’s really like.

The story of Rev. Jim Jones and Jonestown have been explored in various documentaries and fictionalized projects over the years. Some notable examples include the critically lauded 2006 documentary Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple, which offered a comprehensive examination of the cult’s rise and fall, the more recent 2024 documentary Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown, which focused on the final hours, and the true-crime series Very Scary People, which dedicated episodes to dissecting Jones and what happened in Guyana.
A Look Back at the People Temple’s Tragedy

A&E

The Jonestown Massacre claimed the lives of over 900 members of the Peoples Temple in 1978. The religious group was led by Jim Jones, who established the settlement of Jonestown in Guyana in 1974, nearly two decades after founding the Peoples Temple in 1955. Jones convinced his followers to drink a fruit-flavored drink mix (similar to Kool-Aid) laced with cyanide, as death was their only escape from persecution and demonstrated their loyalty. The 900 members “drank the Kool-Aid” shortly after the cult murdered five investigators who had visited Jonestown.
Hader fans will likely not be surprised by the grim topic of the developing series. In a 2019 interview with Newsweek, Hader discussed his fascination with true crime, saying he appreciated stories involving flawed schemes and the darker sides of human behavior. He cited shows like Snapped, Dateline, 48 Hours, and American Greed as examples of shows that dove into those topics, and also lauded O.J. Simpson: Made in America as “one of the best things ever made.”
Hader’s career kicked off while he appeared on NBC’s Saturday Night Live from 2005 to 2013. He currently serves as an executive producer for IFC’s mockumentary series Documentary Now!, which he also co-created. His work on film spans genres with projects including Superbad, Pineapple Express, Trainwreck, The Skeleton Twins, and It Chapter Two. He has also lent his voice to animated features like Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Inside Out. Hader has several projects lined up, including voicing the titular character in the upcoming The Cat in the Hat, which will also star Matt Berry and Quinta Brunson.
Source: Variety, Newsweek

Barry

Release Date

2018 – 2022

Network

HBO Max

Showrunner

Alec Berg

Directors

Alec Berg

Writers

Alec Berg