TV writer and director Ryan Murphy has revealed a lineup of new television series he is currently developing, and one particular show has caught the attention of online users, sparking a unified reaction.
Murphy, known for his diverse body of work, has an impressive portfolio that includes both the musical comedy Glee and the horror anthology American Horror Story.
Recently, Murphy’s series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story has dominated Netflix’s most-watched list for two consecutive weeks, portraying the infamous Menendez brothers’ trial from the 1990s.
Despite the success of his latest show, Murphy is not slowing down and has announced a variety of new projects in development.
Among these, there’s a legal drama featuring Kim Kardashian and a new installment in his American Story series. However, it’s one particular show that has sparked both excitement and apprehension among audiences.
Called The Beauty, Murphy’s forthcoming original series for FX is set to feature Evan Peters, Jeremy Pope, Anthony Ramos, and Ashton Kutcher in what he describes as a ‘sci-fi medical show.’
In an interview with Variety, Murphy elaborated: “[The Beauty] is something I’ve never done before, which is a sci-fi medical show about a new virus that mutates and it’s sexually transmitted, that turns you into your absolute perfect self.
“And the question is, how far would you go to be beautiful? What would you sacrifice to that, and does that matter?,” he added.
“That show was looking at, I call it the Ozempic culture. One little shot, and suddenly you’re going to look better and feel better, and all your problems are going to go away.
“But what are you really working on? What’s going on with you that you feel you need to do that? Sometimes it is health, sometimes it’s vanity,” Murphy continued.
Murphy also mentioned that the production scale of The Beauty will be unlike any of his previous works, stating, “It’s very different. It shoots in Europe — Venice, Rome, and Paris. It’s a very big budget, kind of Game of Thrones in its scale.”
The news of Murphy creating a show where beauty is achieved through an STD elicited numerous reactions on Twitter, many of which were critical.
“What [the f**k] is wrong with ryan murphy,” one tweet read, accumulating 55,000 likes.
“Men will literally create a show about a world where physical perfection is obtainable through a sexually transmitted disease instead of going to therapy,” commented another user.
Despite the backlash, some have defended Murphy’s creative approach, with one user commenting, “All of you saying shit about Ryan while he’s not wasting his time, it’s so creepy, I love it.”
The release date for The Beauty has yet to be confirmed, but anticipation is already building.