Ryan Murphy is up to his old tricks again, delivering us a strange and sexy story with the upcoming FX series The Beauty, which just earned its first teaser. When it comes to the types of stories Murphy has delivered us, we’ve gotten everything from lighthearted comedies to dramas inspired by real-life people, though it’s arguably his American Horror Story that cemented his legacy in the world of TV. In that sense, the premise of The Beauty might not take many people by surprise, but as you can see in the teaser below, this new project could be his most cinematically stylized. The Beauty will premiere on FX on Jan. 21, 2026.
The new series, which is based on the Image Comics series of the same name, stars Evan Peters, Rebecca Hall, Anthony Ramos, Ashton Kutcher, and Jeremy Pope. Guest stars in The Beauty include Amelia Gray Hamlin, Ari Graynor, Bella Hadid, Ben Platt, Billy Eichner, Isabella Rossellini, Jaquel Spivey, Jessica Alexander, Jon Jon Briones, John Carroll Lynch, Julie Halston, Lux Pascal, Meghan Trainor, Nicola Peltz Beckham, Peter Gallagher, and Vincent D’Onofrio.
What Is ‘The Beauty’ About?
FX previously released the following description of the series:
“In FX’s The Beauty, the world of high fashion turns dark when international supermodels begin dying in gruesome and mysterious ways. FBI Agents Cooper Madsen (Evan Peters) and Jordan Bennett (Rebecca Hall) are sent to Paris to uncover the truth. As they delve deeper into the case, they uncover a sexually transmitted virus that transforms ordinary people into visions of physical perfection, but with terrifying consequences. Their path leads them directly into the crosshairs of ‘The Corporation’ (Ashton Kutcher), a shadowy tech billionaire who has secretly engineered a miracle drug dubbed ‘The Beauty,’ who will do anything to protect his trillion-dollar empire—including unleashing his lethal enforcer, ‘The Assassin’ (Anthony Ramos). As the epidemic spreads, ‘Jeremy’ (Jeremy Pope), a desperate outsider, is caught in the chaos, searching for purpose as the agents race across Paris, Venice, Rome, and New York to stop a threat that could alter the future of humanity. The Beauty is a global thriller that asks: what would you sacrifice for perfection?”
Murphy is one of the most consistent TV producers of the past decade, with virtually every series he releases earning either critical acclaim, major viewership, or both. In recent months, though, Murphy projects have seen some stumbles and setbacks.
In October, Netflix released Season 3 of Monster, Monster: The Ed Gein Story, which starred Charlie Hunnam as the titular criminal. Like the first two seasons, the series was widely consumed by subscribers, though it only sits at 22% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. In November, Murphy’s slightly more lighthearted Hulu series All’s Fair, starring Kim Kardashian, Sarah Paulson, and Naomi Watts, was once again popular with viewers, yet only sits at 6% positive reviews. All’s Fair has already been renewed for another season, however, and Season 4 of Monster will focus on Lizzie Borden. At this rate, it will take quite a few disappointments to slow down the Murphy train.
How The Beauty resonates with audiences or critics is anybody’s guess.
The Beauty
- Release Date
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January 21, 2026
- Network
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FX, Hulu
- Writers
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Jason A. Hurley, Jeremy Haun
