( CNN ) -- Fox just announced two very different long-form projects in development based on best-selling books : James Clavell 's classic novel `` Shōgun '' and legal journalist Jeffrey Toobin 's `` The Run of His Life : The People vs. O.J . Simpson '' are both in the works for `` event series '' treatment . `` These are both epic stories -- one fiction , one fact -- that have captivated millions of people worldwide , '' said Shana C. Waterman , a senior vp at Fox . `` They 're riveting and emotional , with unique historic backdrops that lend themselves to the high-quality , dramatic event series we 're looking to make . '' The projects are dubbed `` event series '' by Fox instead of the traditional term `` mini-series . '' The distinction : They 're longer ( 10 to 12 parts ) and could hypothetically extend beyond one season ( though the Simpson project seems pretty self-contained ) . The shows have notable auspices on board — Shōgun is from producers Michael De Luca ( The Social Network ) and Nigel Williams ( Elizabeth I ) ; The Run of His Life : The People vs. O.J . Simpson , which chronicles Simpson 's 1995 murder trial , is from Nina Jacobson ( The Hunger Games ) and Brad Simpson ( World War Z ) . 'Star Trek Into Darkness ' : New trailer . Shōgun was previously adapted into an NBC miniseries in 1980 starring Richard Chamberlain . More notoriously , Fox scheduled a two-part interview with Simpson in 2006 as part of the promotional tour for his planned quasi-confessional book If I Did It . The network touted in the press release , `` Simpson describes how he would have carried out the murders he has vehemently denied committing for over a decade . '' After public outcry and several of the network 's affiliates balking at the prospect of airing the interview , Fox decided not to air the special . Han Solo again ? ' I think it 's almost true ' Official descriptions : . SHŌGUN , based on the best-selling novel by James Clavell , opens a window into the brutal world of a rarely seen feudal Japan . Set in the 17th Century , the story is told from the perspective of British hero John Blackthorne , a sailor who rises from outsider to samurai , while being used as a pawn in Japanese leader Toranaga 's struggle to reach the top of the ruling chain , or Shōgun . A classic for the ages , SHŌGUN is both a cross-cultural exploration of Blackthorne 's journey away from the European way of life , and a star-crossed love story , as he falls for the magnificent Lady Mariko , the married confidant to Toranaga . Everybody remembers where they were when O.J . Simpson , riding in a white Bronco , led the police on a low-speed chase all over Los Angeles . This marked the emergence of the 24-hour news cycle and the birth of reality television . Written by Golden Globe Award winners Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski ( `` The People vs. Larry Flint , '' `` Man on the Moon , '' `` Ed Wood '' ) , THE RUN OF HIS LIFE : THE PEOPLE V. O.J . SIMPSON ( wt ) will take viewers behind the scenes of `` The Trial of The Century , '' driven by the nonstop plot of a courtroom thriller and presenting the story of the trial as it has never been told . See the original article at EW.com . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved .
Fox just announced two projects in development based on best-selling books . James Clavell 's classic novel Shōgun will inspire a Fox `` event series '' Jeffrey Toobin 's O.J . Simpson book , `` The Run of His Life '' will also become a series .