Succession creator confirms early script was based on Murdoch family
Creator Jesse Armstrong has finally given an answer.
Fans have long wondered if Succession was inspired by the real-life Murdoch dynasty, with creator Jesse Armstrong finally giving an answer.
Speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival, the writer explained that a very early script, which inspired the idea of Succession, was in fact based on the News Corp founder.
He said (via The Independent): “I wrote a script about Rupert Murdoch and his family – the real people, which was the predecessor.
"A distinct entity ended up as a sort of screenplay that started at Channel 4 as a sort of docu-drama and it evolved into a sort of screenplay.”
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Armstrong went on to say that he stopped working on the script but still thought it was a "really great idea" and began working on what would eventually become Succession.
Premiering in 2018, Succession became a worldwide hit, with the final episode airing in May this year.
The winner of Succession was ultimately Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) who was appointed as the US CEO of Waystar Royco by Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård). The decision came as a slight shock to viewers who had been following along with Shiv's (Sarah Snook) plan of plotting with GoJo's eccentric founder to eventually name her as CEO.
Speaking after the explosive season 4 finale, Armstrong previously explained why the ending was just right for the hit show.
In the Controlling The Narrative featurette (via Deadline) that aired after the finale, Armstrong said: “Tom being the eventual successor, that had been something that I thought was the right ending for quite a while.
“Even though he’s not exactly the most powerful monarch you’ll ever meet, his power comes from Matsson. Those figures who drift upwards and make themselves amenable to powerful people are around.”
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Reflecting on the decision to wrap things with this fourth season, Armstrong also said: “It feels very perverse to end it, because it’s been incredibly meaningful. I love this cast. I love working with the crew [and] my fellow writers. I’ve had some of my happiest times in my career being in the writers room and working with them.
“I don’t feel like I’ll be able to write anything as good as this again, because I just feel like it’s an arena that I’m so interested in, and the group of people who’ve made it have been so talented.”
Succession airs on Sky Atlantic and NOW with all seasons available to watch on Sky and stream on NOW – sign up for Sky TV here.
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