Anderson Cooper Set to Work on Vanderbilt Family Series for Amazon

Out CNN news anchor Anderson Cooper is set to executive produce a scripted series for Amazon based on the book Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty he wrote with Katherine Howe.

The series, which comes from Cooper and Patrick Macmanus, will be produced by UCP and Amazon Studios.

Vanderbilt examines 400 years of the family’s rise and fall as one of the most powerful and influential dynasties in the U.S.

“From the family’s humble beginnings in New Amsterdam, patriarch Cornelius ‘Commodore’ Vanderbilt weaponized cunning, cutthroat business tactics to amass unimaginable wealth leading to power struggles between heirs over control, salacious scandals and financial ruin. That is, until Gloria, the last of the Vanderbilts, rises above her family’s complicated history, and personal tragedy to pave her own path as an artist and fashion designer,” reads the series’ logline, according to Variety.

Macmanus is also behind Dr. Death and The Girl From Plainville. Kelly Funke will also executive produce the show.

Vanderbilt isn't the only new series Cooper is working on. He'll be hosting a new Sunday-evening series for CNN The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper starting April 16.

The anchor has long played a key role in CNN’s weekday programming. He has hosted the weeknight news show Anderson Cooper 360° since 2003. Now, CNN is set to give Cooper a primetime slot on Sunday nights, too.

The Whole Story presents “one-hour deep dives into specific topics, interviews, profiles and investigations,” according to Variety. The show will serve as a long-form, 60 Minutes-esque counterpart to the segmented Anderson Cooper 360°.

There have been a number of episodes planned thus far. One will feature an exploration of San Francisco and its social problems by Sara Sidner. Another will center on Pamala Brown's investigation into allegations that Johnson & Johnson's discontinued talc baby powder causes cancer. In another, David Culver will provide an in-depth analysis of the medicinal and financial aspects of Magic Mushrooms, a psychedelic plant. And Nick Paton Walsh will cover his firsthand experience with a group of Central American migrants as they journey to the United States in search of asylum.