FX Moves Forward With New Ryan Murphy–Evan Peters Collaboration as “Perfection Comes at a Price” in New Thriller

FX is preparing to enter new genre territory as the network moves ahead with production on its latest high-profile drama from Ryan Murphy, reuniting the prolific creator with longtime collaborator Evan Peters. While details surrounding the series remain tightly guarded, the project is based on the comic series The Beauty, which imagines a world transformed by the seductive promise—and devastating consequences—of perfectly engineered beauty.

Although the network has not disclosed specifics about the show’s storyline, the source material provides a strong indication of the tone and direction viewers can expect. In the comics, society has embraced a scientific breakthrough that allows anyone to attain flawless physical beauty. The transformation is rapid, alluring, and nearly universal, quickly becoming the norm across the population. But as the world celebrates its new aesthetic utopia, a pair of detectives begins to uncover an unsettling truth: the cost of this engineered perfection may be far more dangerous and irreversible than anyone imagined.

That central tension—between society’s obsession with beauty and the hidden horrors beneath it—suggests the television adaptation will blend crime procedural elements with body horror, social commentary, and psychological tension, marking a return to the darker, more stylized storytelling that has defined much of Murphy’s career.

FX has officially ordered 11 episodes for the first season, and production is scheduled to begin this fall. The network has not yet set a premiere date, but anticipation is already building given the involvement of Murphy and Peters, one of television’s most successful creator-actor partnerships.

The project represents a reunion many fans have long hoped for. Evan Peters’ creative history with Ryan Murphy stretches more than a decade and includes some of the most memorable performances in modern television. Peters appeared in nine seasons of American Horror Story, evolving from supporting cast member to franchise icon. He later served as a producer on the show’s tenth installment, further solidifying his working relationship with Murphy.

Their collaborations have extended beyond horror. Peters starred in the first season of Pose, another Murphy co-creation that earned critical acclaim for its performances, writing, and representation. But perhaps the most notable example of their creative chemistry came with Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, in which Peters delivered a complex, unsettling performance in the title role. The series became one of Netflix’s most-watched originals in the platform’s history, generating massive viewership and sparking widespread conversation about crime dramatizations and ethical storytelling.

With the new FX project, Murphy and Peters appear set to explore a different kind of darkness—one rooted not in real tragedy, but in speculative world-building and society’s fixation on beauty, perfection, and transformation. The comic’s premise offers fertile ground for Murphy’s signature blend of stylized visuals, morally ambiguous characters, and heightened drama. It also provides Peters with another opportunity to portray layered roles within an unconventional, high-stakes environment.

While casting beyond Peters has not yet been confirmed, FX’s early investment in an 11-episode order suggests confidence in the concept and the creative team behind it. The network has built a strong library of genre-bending dramas in recent years, from American Horror Story to Fargo, and the upcoming series appears poised to join those ranks.

Industry observers note that Murphy’s partnership with FX—already responsible for some of the most distinctive television of the past decade—remains one of his most consistent and creatively successful despite his concurrent work with other platforms. His return to FX with Peters at his side signals a continuation of that legacy, even as the creator navigates a prolific period marked by numerous new projects across multiple networks and streamers.

If the series stays faithful to its source material, viewers can expect a narrative that combines noir-style investigation with high-gloss tension, exploring how desire, vanity, and scientific advancement collide in a world where beauty is both currency and curse. The detectives at the center of the story must unravel not only the mystery behind the transformation’s true cost, but also the societal pressures that make the pursuit of perfection nearly impossible to resist.

FX is expected to release additional casting details and production updates as filming moves forward later this year. Until then, the project remains one of the most anticipated entries on the network’s upcoming slate—promising a gripping, visually striking exploration of the darker side of beauty, and marking yet another chapter in the celebrated creative collaboration between Ryan Murphy and Evan Peters.