Bill O'Reilly AP Images/Invision
It follows the recently green lit 'Reagan' and past projects 'Lincoln,' 'Kennedy' and 'Jesus.'
National Geographic Channel cannot get enough of Bill O'Reilly.
With a fourth adaption of the Fox News personality's Killing book series already making its way to TV, the network has green lit a fifth telepic installment in the series: Killing Patton. It's a no-brainer for Nat Geo, which has seen record ratings with each of the previous installments: Killing Lincoln, Killing Kennedy and Killing Jesus.
“Scott Free Productions and National Geographic Channels have done a brilliant job bringing to life the towering historical figures in my Killing series, and I’m very confident our continued partnership will yield a gripping film about General Patton’s tragic death,” said O’Reilly, who originally pitched the fourth installment in his historical series as a theatrical venture. (That's one reason why Nat Geo signed on to book No. 5, Killing Reagan, earlier.) “Tapping into some of Hollywood’s best and brightest in front of and behind the camera has worked tremendously well for the film adaptations so I look forward to seeing this approach continue our winning streak with the franchise.”
Filming on Killing Patton, being adapted from O'Reilly and co-author Martin Dugard's source material by screenwriter Anthony Peckham, is set for 2016. Like the other books and movies, it focuses on a significant death — in this instance, famous World War II general George S. Patton, Jr.
“With their unique historical insights, absorbing narratives and A-list talent on screen and behind the scenes, the Killing films have proven must-see hits with audiences all over the world," added Nat Geo president of original programming and production Tim Pastore. "We are very excited to be re-teaming with Bill O’Reilly and Scott Free to add Killing Patton to our scripted slate. We’re also thrilled to have screenwriter Anthony Peckham come on board to help bring this project to life, especially given his past successes in delivering iconic characters to the big screen that have garnered critical acclaim and resonated with audiences around the globe.”
Nat Geo keeps making strides in the scripted arena. The cable network, under the expanding partnership between The National Geographic Society and 21st Century Fox, debuted its first scripted miniseries, Saints and Strangers, in November.
Killing Reagan, which chronicles the 1981 attempted assassination of the 40th president, will premiere on Nat Geo in 2016 — with Patton following down the line.
