American Horror Story and Glee creator Ryan Murphy has become one of the most prolific producers in Hollywood over the last decade, with many upcoming projects currently in development. The writer and director is most famous for his work on FX, which includes AHS and its spinoff American Crime Story, and for his more recent collaborations with Netflix, such as Hollywood, The Politician, and Ratched. Murphy’s Netflix deal, in particular, has led to an explosion of new content under his expanding creative umbrella, and it won’t be slowing down anytime soon.
Murphy’s TV career began with the premiere of his first series, teenage dramedy Popular on The WB. Though Popular only lasted two seasons, Murphy’s success only grew with the subsequent premieres of Nip/Tuck in 2003 and Glee, oft-compared to High School Musical, in 2009, each of which ran for six seasons and built up big dedicated fan bases. Many of those same fans would follow Murphy to his second FX series, American Horror Story, which captivated viewers with its grisly storylines and distinctive, anthologized format. In 2018, Murphy signed a $300 million five-year TV and movie deal with Netflix, though he has since continued his work with FX as well.
So, what can Murphy fans look forward to over the next couple of years? A lot. Multiple projects are currently in development from the acclaimed producer, including new seasons of some of his most popular series and a few entirely new projects on FX and Netflix. Here’s every known project Murphy is currently working on, and what’s been revealed about each of them so far.
Ratched Season 2
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest prequel series Ratched was ordered for two seasons at Netflix when the idea was first pitched, so while no release date for Ratched season 2 has been released yet, it is still an upcoming project. Like many of Ryan Murphy’s recent TV projects with Netflix, Ratched season 1 received mixed reviews, with many critics praising its visual stylings and bold tone but knocking it for slopping writing and one-dimensional characters. Frequent Murphy collaborator Sarah Paulson captivated audiences as per usual as the titular Nurse Ratched, but it remains to be seen if she will be enough to help season 2 rise above the problems of its predecessor.
American Horror Stories Season 2
Ryan Murphy kicked off a new AHS spinoff in 2021 with the premiere of American Horror Stories on FX on Hulu, and season 2 has already been ordered. While there are similarities between the two AHS shows, like the “Murder House” setting, there are also many differences. Unlike the original show, which tells a different story each season, Stories operates more like Black Mirror, with each individual episode introducing an entirely different, disturbing world. Several American Horror Story cast members have featured in American Horror Stories season 1, and it should be exciting to see how the new show continues to grow and evolve in the upcoming season 2.
Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
One of Ryan Murphy’s upcoming projects for Netflix is a true-crime miniseries about infamous serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer called Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Set to consist of ten episodes, the series will star Evan Peters in the leading role of Dahmer, with a supporting cast that includes Penelope Ann Miller, Richard Jenkins, Michael Learned, and Colin Ford. Like American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace, the story will largely be told through the perspective of Dahmer’s victims. There is plenty that fans know about Murphy’s Monster, but no release information has been announced. The TV show will likely premiere on Netflix sometime in 2022.
A Chorus Line
Another one of Netflix’s upcoming projects from Ryan Murphy currently in the early stages of development, A Chorus Line will adapt the famous Broadway musical of the same name as a ten-episode TV miniseries. Murphy has said that, in addition to the actual narrative and musical content of the original show, his new series will also feature some meta elements, such as interview footage and deep dives into the process of original A Chorus Line director Michael Bennett. The project sounds both highly ambitious and a bit confusing, and it should be interesting to see how it ultimately pans out. As of now, there is no official release date for Netflix’s A Chorus Line.
American Love Story
Most recently, Ryan Murphy and FX announced a couple of new American Horror Story spin-offs, which will spin the franchise’s anthology format into different genres like American Crime Story. The first of those upcoming projects is tentatively being called American Love Story. As the name implies, the TV show will focus on prominent love stories in history and pop culture, with John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette being the subject of the first season. No release date or casting information has yet been revealed.
American Sports Story
The second upcoming American Horror Story spinoff is American Sports Story, which will focus on real-life narratives of sports and athletes. Season 1 of American Sports Story will be about former NFL star and focus of Netflix’s Killer Inside Aaron Hernandez, who was convicted of murder in 2013 and later took his own life. There is currently no release date information for this upcoming Ryan Murphy project, and no cast has been announced.
American Crime Story Season 4
The fourth season of American Crime Story, tentatively titled “Studio 54,” has already been announced by Murphy and FX, to air at an undisclosed time after the release of “Impeachment.” The season will tell the story of the famous Manhattan disco and nightclub of the same name, which became notorious in the late 1970s for its reputation for recreational drug use and sexual activity. No casting has been announced as of this time for American Crime Story season 4. With this upcoming project, Ryan Murphy will be looking to win back viewers after some were disappointed in Impeachment.
The Watcher
Another upcoming project that’s part of Ryan Murphy’s Netflix contract is The Watcher, a limited series based off a true story of a couple who were harassed by mysterious letters signed only “The Watcher.” Murphy is developing the series with Ian Brennan, who collaborated with him on Glee, Scream Queens, and The Politician. Naomi Watts and Bobby Cannavale are attached to star as the couple, with Jennifer Coolidge and Mia Farrow among the supporting cast. The series is currently set to premiere in 2022.
American Horror Story Season 11
Ryan Murphy’s longest-running series, American Horror Story, will continue for a while yet, having already been renewed through season 13. So far no story details or cast have been announced for this upcoming project, although speculation is already rampant about what American Horror Story season 11 might deal with. Sarah Paulson, a mainstay of the series, has suggested that season 10 may have been her last, while Taissa Farmiga has teased that she may return for another season. FX’s long-term commitment to the series suggests that Ryan Murphy fans will have plenty of future projects to look forward to.
