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Taylor Kitsch, Michael Shannon, and Melissa Benoist appear in the star-studded second trailer for Waco, a true-life miniseries headed for the Paramount Network. This six-part drama chronicles the real events that took place during 1993 in Waco, Texas, where the federal authorities laid siege to a compound of the Branch Davidians religious group.
Kitsch plays Branch Davidians leader David Koresh, who was targeted by the authorities for stockpiling illegal weapons. Shannon portrays the federal agent that orchestrated the siege of Koresh’s compound, which resulted in a bloody 51-day conflict. Benoist heads up the impressive supporting cast, which also features Andrea Riseborough, Julia Garner, John Leguizamo, Rory Culkin, Paul Sparks, Shea Whigham, and Camryn Manheim. The series was written and directed by brothers John Erick Dowdle and Drew Dowdle.
Related: First Look at Taylor Kitsch as David Koresh
Ahead of the series’ debut in January, Paramount has now shared this second trailer. Like the first Waco trailer, it features a sense of palpable tension. The star-name actors bringing the conflict to life in an eye-catching fashion while the ominous titles promise ‘revelations’ aplenty.
The trailer opens with a video message sent from Kitsch’s religious leader to Shannon’s federal agent. Despite leading an unconventional polyamorous life in a compound, Kitsch’s Koresh comes across like a fairly ordinary guy attempting to protect his loved ones. The government agents are wary of letting the footage out, believing it will turn public perception of the siege away from their favor.
What follows is a two-minute teaser that explores both sides of the conflict. You might have expected crazy zealots versus gung-ho government forces, but this actually a lot more thoughtful than that. The government representatives are clearly hesitant and the people in the compound believe that God is testing them. “Nothing scares the powers that be more than the people that don’t need them,” utters Kitsch’s Koresh towards the end, tapping into the conflict that could make this event series truly compelling to watch.
However, there is a side to Koresh’s story that makes Waco highly topical to today’s audiences: Koresh was accused of committing sexual abuse within his compound, and sexual abuse and harassment have become huge talking points in recent weeks. Although the trailer doesn’t mention it, The Weinstein Company was involved in the development of the Waco series, before Harvey Weinstein was accused of sexual abuse and fired from the company. It remains to be seen how the series will handle the allegations against Koresh.
More: Arrowverse Stars Speak Out Against Sexual Harassment
Waco premieres January 24, 2018 on Paramount Network.
