'American Crime Story: Katrina' won't air until 2018

FX's People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story became a cultural phenomenon in 2016 -- scooping nine Emmy Awards and two Golden Globes in addition to dominating the zeitgeist -- but its intended follow-up, American Crime Story: Katrina, is still a long way off.

At the Television Critics Association winter press tour, FX CEO John Landgraf revealed that the franchise would not return to our screens until 2018 -- in part because "it's taking us time to get material we're happy with."

Unlike People v. O.J., which was based on Jeffrey Toobin's book, The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson, the source material for Katrina has proven harder to nail down. "It's not a lurid, true crime series with reenactments," Landgraf noted. "We have high ambitions for this show."

In fact, the already-announced third installment of American Crime Story -- centered around the murder of Gianni Versace and based on Maureen Orth's book Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U.S. History -- will start filming before Katrina, even though the current plan is to air it after.

"They’re gonna air within 6 months of each other," Landgraf said. "We’ll have a long hiatus and then get back on cycle."

FX is also benching another of their 2016 hits, Atlanta, until 2018, because of Donald Glover's commitment to the standalone Han Solo Star Wars movie.

"Of course we wish we had Atlanta in 2017," Landgraf said, but playing Lando Calrissian was obviously a "great opportunity" that they wanted to support Glover in. "Given the choice between having it on the schedule or having happy, contented talent," it was a no-brainer.