David Farnor | On 14, Feb 2018

Netflix has inked a new overall deal with Ryan Murphy, in one of the year’s biggest TV talent signings.

To describe Murphy as “prolific” would be an understatement. He created the groundbreaking television drama Nip/Tuck, which won the Golden Globe for Best Television Series back in 2005 and ran for six seasons. He also created the Emmy Award- and Golden Globe-winning series Glee, the Emmy Award- and Golden Globe-winning anthology series American Horror Story, Scream Queens, the Emmy Award- and Golden Globe-winning anthology series American Crime Story and, most recently, the Emmy Award-nominated anthology series Feud.

He is just as highly regarded for his drive towards equality behind the camera, launching Half, aiming to make Hollywood more inclusive by creating equal opportunities for women and minorities behind the camera. Less than one year after launching Half, Ryan Murphy Television’s director slate hired 60 per cent women directors and 90 per cent met its women and minority requirement. Concurrent with the hiring goals, the Initiative launched the Half-Directors Mentorship Program in which every director on every Ryan Murphy Television production mentors emerging women and minority directors through pre-production and post-production along with offering a significant stipend for their commitment.

Murphy’s home has been at FX for some time, but the move comes as no surprise: as his deal with them has neared its close, he has signed a number of high-profile deals with Netflix, including his new original series Ratched and The Politician.

“Ryan Murphy’s series have influenced the global cultural zeitgeist, reinvented genres and changed the course of television history. His unfaltering dedication to excellence and to give voice to the underrepresented, to showcase a unique perspective or just to shock the hell out of us, permeates his genre-shattering work,” says Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer at Netflix.

“From Nip/Tuck – our first licensed series – to American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson and American Horror Story, we’ve seen how his brand of storytelling captivates consumers and critics across the globe. His celebrated body of work and his contributions to our industry speak for themselves, and we look forward to supporting Ryan in bringing his broad and diverse stories to the world.”

“The history of this moment is not lost on me,” adds Murphy. “I am a gay kid from Indiana who moved to Hollywood in 1989 with $55 dollars in savings in my pocket, so the fact that my dreams have crystallized and come true in such a major way is emotional and overwhelming to me. I am awash in genuine appreciation for Ted Sarandos, Reed Hastings and Cindy Holland at Netflix for believing in me and the future of my company which will continue to champion women, minorities and LGBTQ heroes and heroines, and I am honored and grateful to continue my partnership with my friends and peers at Fox on our existing shows.”

Murphy and Ryan Murphy Productions will begin their multi-year deal on 1st July 2018.

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