Even before the TV adaptation of his book Killing Lincoln brought in record numbers at the network, National Geographic had the adaptation for O'Reilly's follow-up book Killing Kennedy on order. Nat Geo appears to be happily staying aboard the O'Reilly train and showing confidence in his work, as they've given a similar treatment to his next book Killing Jesus: A History, which was only just announced last month and is set to hit shelves in September. As you might have surmised, the book will explore the details and events leading up to the death of Jesus of Nazareth.
Deadline shared the announcement today that National Geographic is partnering with Ridley Scott and O'Reilly, once again, to adapt O'Reilly's next book (co-authored with Martin Dugard) for a TV movie. As Deadline points out, pre-production has begun on O'Reilly's Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot, which is expected to air on the network's channels later this year.
“O’Reilly has proven with ‘Killing Lincoln’ and ‘Killing Kennedy’ that the public is fascinated with the tragic tales of these renowned historical figures, and this is one of the most dramatic stories ever told. We are privileged to once again work with National Geographic Channel to bring Bill’s vision to the screen,” said Ridley Scott.
Tragedy certainly does draw a crowd, and O'Reilly has targeted revered public figures as the subject of his books, which offers its own built-in interest. Between that and his own celebrity as a Fox News commentator, not to mention the success of Killing Lincoln, it's not particularly surprising that Nat Geo would call dibs and get things rolling on the adaptation of O'Reilly's next publication months before the public has even had the chance to look at it. Of course, the network also stands to benefit from whatever added attention O'Reilly brings to the book in the coming months, as it's likely he'll find ways to drop mention of it on The Factor now and again.
National Geographic says the Killing Jesus special will premiere globally on NGC in 171 countries and 38 languages in 2014. Pre-order the book here.
