We’re going to have to wait a little longer to see Danny Boyle’s take on the Getty family kidnapping saga. When Ridley Scott make the decision to recast Kevin Spacey in his film about the same story, All the Money in the World, and maintain the film’s December release date, the FX drama series Trust was looming large. No doubt getting All the Money in the World out before the end of the year also had to do with awards consideration and box office, but a major concern for Sony Pictures was being beat by FX’s version of the same events. If Trust came first, would anyone venture to see the movie about the same story?

Well Scott pulled it off, and now FX is balking. Originally slated to premiere in January, the network announced today that Trust won’t debut until Sunday, March 25th at 10pm ET/PT on FX. It’s probably a smart move—All the Money in the World is still in theaters, and FX already has The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story debuting later this month, so they don’t need another series right now.

danny-boyle-bond-25
Image via Universal Pictures

Another curiosity: When casting was being announced, Trust was referred to as a limited series. But today’s premiere date press release explicitly refers to “the first season of the new drama series” with regards to the premiere date. Is FX changing course in the wake of All the Money in the World, or was this always intended to potentially be an ongoing series and the “limited series” moniker was just hedging bets?

Boyle directs the first three episodes of this “first season”, which begins in 1973 and chronicles the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III (Harris Dickinson) by the Italian mafia in Rome. His wealthy grandfather, J. Paul Getty Sr. (Donald Sutherland), subsequently refuses to pay the ransom while his mother (Hilary Swank) is left to try and find a way to get her son back home safely.

Boyle’s Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire writer Simon Beaufoy is the creator of the series and wrote the scripts, while he also serves as executive producer alongside Boyle and Christian Colson. It’ll be interesting to see how this pans out, and what kind of story would continue in a potential second season if Season 1—again, originally intended as a limited series—wraps up this kidnapping saga. I suppose we’ll find out in March.

Here’s the official synopsis for Trust, which also stars Brendan FraserAnna ChancellorNorbert Leo ButzCharlotte Riley, and Luca Marinelli:

Inspired by actual events, Trust delves into the trials and triumphs of one of America’s wealthiest and unhappiest families, the Gettys. Equal parts family history, dynastic saga and an examination of the corrosive power of money, Trust explores the complexities at the heart of every family, rich or poor. Told over multiple seasons and spanning the twentieth century, the series begins in 1973 with the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III (Harris Dickinson), an heir to the Getty oil fortune, by the Italian mafia in Rome. His captors banked on a multi-million-dollar ransom. After all, what rich family wouldn’t pay for the return of a loved one? Paul’s grandfather, J. Paul Getty Sr. (Donald Sutherland), an enigmatic oil tycoon and possibly the richest man in the world, is marooned in a Tudor mansion in the English countryside surrounded by a harem of mistresses and a pet lion. He’s busy. Paul’s father, J. Paul Getty Jr. (Michael Esper), is lost in a daze in London and refuses to answer the phone. Only Paul’s mother, Gail Getty (Hilary Swank), is left to negotiate with the increasingly desperate kidnappers. Unfortunately, she’s broke. Trust charts the teenage grandson’s nightmare ordeal at the hands of kidnappers who cannot understand why nobody seems to want their captive back.

trust-logo