Bonnie And Clyde Miniseries Begins This Weekend

A Bonnie and Clyde biopic will begin on Sunday evening. The four-hour miniseries will air on A&E, Lifetime, and the History channel, on Sunday and Monday evening. The two-night biopic stars Emile Hirsch as Clyde Barrow and Holliday Grainger as Bonnie Parker. The all-star cast also includes Dale Dickey, Lane Garrison, Austin Herbert, Holly Hunter, William Hurt, Sarah Hyland, and Elizabeth Reaser.

Directed by Bruce Beresford and produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, the miniseries documents the outlaw couple’s depression-era crime spree.

Bonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Chestnut Barrow traveled throughout the central and southern US in the early 1930s. Along with several friends, they reportedly committed numerous robberies and murders between 1932 and 1934. Their crime spree ended in May 1934, when they were ambushed by police and killed in a shootout.

Although their story is often romanticized, they are accused of robbing banks, stealing cars, and killing at least 13 people — including nine police officers. Bonnie and Clyde’s relationship has been debated for decades. While some believe Bonnie was corrupted by Clyde’s criminal behavior, others believe she was a willing participant in a majority of the crimes.

As reported by USA Today, Beresford was intrigued by the notorious couple’s criminal exploits:

“It was fascinating that at that time two people could crash around four or five states in the South, doing robbery after robbery and evading police, partly because the police couldn’t cross state lines.”

As Beresford explains, Bonnie and Clyde “were never particularly efficient robbers,” The director found humor in some of their botched robberies. Beresford said he hopes “some of that humor came across in the film.”

To prepare for his role Hirsch read Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde. The book explores a darker side of Clyde, which began with a difficult time in prison when he was a young man.

The miniseries was developed by Lifetime, the channel for women. However, general manager Rob Sharenow said the miniseries is diverse and will appeal to both women and men:

“It’s one of the few stories that has so many touch points. It’s not just a history subject. It’s not just a love story. It’s not just a great adventure film. It’s not just action.”

The world premier of Bonnie & Clyde will air on December 8 and 9 at 9:00 pm ET.

[Images via Wikipedia]