Taylor Kitsch is cult leader David Koresh in trailer for Waco mini-series

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

When the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives attempted to execute a search warrant on a compound belonging to the Branch Davidians led by David Koresh, it kicked off an intense firefight which developed into a standoff lasting 51 days. When all was said and done, over a hundred people were left dead, including Koresh himself. The tragic events of the Waco siege will soon be brought to life in an upcoming six-part mini-series from Paramount Network and Weinstein Television.

Titled Waco, the series will chronicle the 1993 standoff between federal agents and the Branch Davidians and stars Taylor Kitsch as David Koresh and Michael Shannon as FBI hostage negotiator Gary Noesner. Melissa Benoist, John Leguizamo, Shea Whigham, Rory Culkin, Andrea Riseborough, and more also star in the series which was based on two biographies, "A Place Called Waco" by Branch Davidian David Thibodeau, and "Stalling for Time: My Life as an FBI Hostage Negotiator" by Gary Noesner.

The official synopsis for Waco:

In February, 1993, the eyes of the world converged on Mount Carmel, a small religious community located just outside Waco, TX. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) had just conducted a massive raid on David Koresh and his followers, known as the Branch Davidians. After what became the longest gun battle in U.S. law enforcement history, four ATF agents and six civilians were dead and dozens more were wounded. A 51-day standoff ensued, and the conflict ended after an FBI assault led to a fire that engulfed Mount Carmel, killing 76 men, women, and children.

What precipitated the ATF raid, and what transpired over the ensuing standoff, remains one of the most misunderstood stories in American history. Based on two biographies, A Place Called Waco, by Branch Davidian David Thibodeau, one of the nine survivors of the final fire on April 19, 1993, and Stalling for Time: My Life as an FBI Hostage Negotiator, written by the FBI’s Head of Crisis Negotiation Unit Gary Noesner, the six-part scripted series “Waco” will forever change the way the dramatic siege will be viewed. A quarter century after this seminal moment in American history, Paramount Network will chronicle this true story told from several perspectives of those who were intimately involved.

Waco will debut on the Paramount Network in January 2018.