Ryan Murphy is moving to Netflix.
The prolific producer has signed a new multi-year overall deal to produce new series and films at the streaming service starting July 1, 2018.
The new deal, which is reportedly worth as much as $300 million, makes exclusive what had already been a growing relationship between Murphy and Netflix. Earlier this month the streamer picked up two seasons of the musical series “The Politician” from Murphy and co-creators Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan. Murphy is also working on Netflix’s “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” prequel series “Ratched,” starring Sarah Paulson.
Poaching Murphy from his longtime home of 20th Century Fox TV is a huge get for Netflix, which pulled off a similar coup last year when it lured away ABC-hitmaker Shonda Rhimes with her own rich multi-year deal.
Since creating “Nip/Tuck,” one of the first major original programming successes at FX, Murphy has created and produced a number of popular television series for Fox and FX. He currently oversees five shows at the two networks, “American Crime Story,” “American Horror Story,” “Feud,” “9-1-1” and the upcoming “Pose,” all of which will continue at their respective network homes.
Not only is the deal a major blow to 20th, but it could also potentially affect Disney, which reached a deal late last year to acquire most of 21st Century Fox — including the TV studio — for $52.4 billion. Murphy said last month that he was personally in contact with Disney CEO Bob Iger and would weigh his options about whether to stay with the company should the deal go through.
“The history of this moment is not lost on me,” Murphy said in a statement. “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.”
“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,” said Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos. “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.”