Entertainment

Ryan Murphy's New Netflix Series Will Take You Back To Hollywood's Golden Age

by Sabienna Bowman
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

One of the busiest people in Hollywood just got a little bit busier. On Friday, Feb. 22, Ryan Murphy announced his new Netflix series Hollywood, his third series with the streamer overall, via Instagram. The super producer described the series as a "love letter to the Golden Age of Tinseltown." There's no word yet on who will star in the series, or even if it will be a comedy or a drama (or a bit of both), but it sounds like a project that Murphy is passionate about bringing to the streamer.

To announce the news, Murphy shared a black and white image of the Hollywood sign. His full caption read,

"'Hollywood' — my new Netflix show co-created with Ian Brennan — begins principal photography this summer. A love letter to the Golden Age of Tinseltown, this straight-to-series production will be my third show for Netflix and I couldn't be more excited or proud about the work we are doing together. More to come…"

Hollywood joins the previously announced One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest prequel Ratched, starring Sarah Paulson, and The Politician with Ben Platt. Additionally, Murphy still has several shows at FX and Fox including American Horror Story, Pose, 911, and American Crime Story. As if that wasn't enough, the prolific TV creator has also been teasing a possible Scream Queens revival on social media.

While Hollywood is the third show announced since Murphy made a $300 million deal with Netflix in July 2018, Hollywood marks his first original series that will produced by the streaming site, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Ratched and The Politician are produced by 20th Century Fox Television, and since casting seems to be complete on the Paulson series, it's likely to be the first to premiere. Still, Hollywood will hold the special distinction of being the first pure Murphy-Netflix collaboration.

Even though details are scarce at this early stage, the series sounds like the perfect way to kick off the deal between Netflix and Murphy. After all, the streamer is redefining Hollywood by bringing hit movies and shows directly to consumers. That gives the American Horror Story creator's latest series an extra level of poignancy as it delves into the rich past of Hollywood's golden age.

This isn't unfamiliar territory for the producer either. Thanks to his FX series Feud, which focused on the toxic dynamic that existed between Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, Murphy has experience in delving into the tumultuous early days of Hollywood excess. It would be amazing to see his new series go even deeper by highlighting the screenwriters, crew members, and extras who helped make classic movie magic happen from behind the scenes. Even if the spotlight remains on the era's stars, it's sure to be a fascinating watch though.

For now, Murphy fans will just have to wait and see how many members of his repertoire of performers will star in the series, and which famous Hollywood stars they'll be playing. But even without any firm plot details or a cast, this series already sounds like the beginning of a beautiful friendship between Netflix and one of TV's busiest creators.