Posted in: FX, TV | Tagged: The Beauty

The Beauty: Ryan Murphy Teases "Explosive" Opening to Series Adapt

Ryan Murphy offered some insights into how his and FX Networks' series adaptation of Jeremy Haun and Jason A. Hurley's The Beauty kicks off.

We haven't exactly made it a secret that we're looking forward to seeing what Ryan Murphy (FX's Grotesquerie, ABC's Doctor Odyssey) and FX Networks' series adaptation of Jeremy Haun and Jason A. Hurley's comic book series The Beauty has to offer. After this past weekend's New York Comic Con (NYCC) 2025, even more so. Murphy, Evan Peters, Anthony Ramos, Jeremy Pope, Rebecca Hall, and Ashton Kutcher (Isabella Rossellini also stars)were on hand in the Main Hall to discuss the series and share a sneak peek at what's to come (with Haun and Hurley checking in on social media to share what it was like seeing their comic book series come to live-action life). With the series expected to be released in January 2026 (Murphy: "the third week of January"), Murphy offered some more insight into how the comic book series' premise plays out in the series – and how the show hits the ground running after the "explosive" side effect of a "fountain of youth drug" kicks in.

"Because it's a sci-fi show, there is a catch. They soon find out there's a glitch in the shot in which you only last 855 days or something, and then you explode, and then it's all over. As our story begins, which I love doing, there's a rash of exploding supermodels all over the globe who are captured on cellphones. So Evan and Rebecca are called in to investigate," Murphy shared about the "self-ignition ketosis" that users of the drug are experiencing – and it's even more bizarrely brutal than it sounds. "The point of the show, by the way, during these transformations, is that you take the beauty and when your time is up, your time is up," he added. "You literally burn from within, and you collapse into what looks to be something out of the movie 'Alien.' We called it the flesh sacks. And then from that comes a rebirth."

"Tonight, I got to see something truly special with my pal, [Jason A. Hurley]," Haun kicked off the caption to their Instagram post, which included an image gallery from the NYCC event. "We joined Ryan Murphy and the amazing cast for a select preview and panel for the upcoming FX tv series of THE BEAUTY. Hurley and I put so much love into writing THE BEAUTY comic series. Now, seeing the absolute magic Ryan, Evan Peters, Anthony Ramos, Jeremy Pope, Rebecca Hall, Ashton Kutcher, and the whole crew brought to this series genuinely brought tears to our eyes. Thanks to everyone who has helped make THE BEAUTY a reality. Love you all."

"Got to see a preview of The Beauty TV show, and a panel with the cast, with a few hundred close friends. Nothing will ever be more surreal. What an amazing experience, and thanks to everyone who made it happen," Hurley shared in their Instagram post, which included a look at the panel and the audience:

Thanks to Disney's Upfronts presentation from back in May, we got a look at the series adaptation's early logo, as well as at Peters, Ramos, Pope, and Kutcher, who were on hand to promote The Beauty:

The Beauty: Ryan Murphy on Connections with "Nip/Tuck," "AHS"

Back in October 2024, Murphy shared how the story connects with a number of previous and current shows in terms of themes, focuses, and questions asked. "I've always written about beauty culture in my work from my very first big thing, which was 'Nip/Tuck.' I've also done a lot of body horror in my work, mostly through 'American Horror Story.' I just think that it asks that deep, essential question that I always like to ask about anything: What would you do for love? What would you do for beauty? What would you do for money? It has all of those things that I've grappled with in my entire career, all in one package," Murphy shared about The Beauty.

In terms of the overall scope of the show, Murphy previously compared it to Game of Thrones. While that still remains to be seen, Murphy makes it clear that it's his biggest undertaking yet. "I've never done anything this big. I've never done anything international except for [2010 film] 'Eat Pray Love,'" he explained. "I'm casting all the other female parts now, but we're going all over the world next year to make it. It's a very long shoot. It's a big shoot, and it's fun. I just think it's that phrase, 'may you live in interesting times.' I think that applies to 'Grotesquerie.' It applies to 'The Beauty.' I'm trying to work out how I feel about all these times."

Originally published in 2015, here's a look at the official overview: "Modern society is obsessed with outward beauty. What if there was a way to guarantee you could become more and more beautiful every day? What if it was a sexually transmitted disease? In the world of 'The Beauty,' physical perfection is attainable. The vast majority of the population has taken advantage of it, but Detectives Foster and Vaughn will soon discover it comes at a terrible price." Produced by 20th Television in association with Ryan Murphy Television, the FX series will be executive-produced by Murphy, Hodgson, Peters, Ramos, Pope, Alexis Martin Woodall, Eric Kovtun, Scott Robertson, Nissa Diederich, and Eric Gitter.

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