Prolific producer, director and writer Ryan Murphy is the latest big name talent to defect to Netflix from the television industry, signing an exclusive multi-year production deal with the streaming service.
The groundbreaking deal calls for Murphy, who has produced such Emmy Award-winning shows as FX's The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, Feud and American Horror Story – as well as breakout new Fox broadcasting series 9-1-1 – to produce new series and films exclusively at Netflix beginning July 1, according to the service.
Murphy’s move from traditional television and cable networks to the digital streaming service follows producer/creator Shonda Rhimes, who signed an exclusive deal with Netflix in August after producing such shows as Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder for broadcast network ABC.
Netflix is already slated to premiere two new Murphy-produced 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,” said Ted Sarandos, chief content officer at Netflix, in a statement. “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. 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.”
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The deal comes two months after 20th Century Fox agreed to sell key content assets to the Walt Disney Co., including its movie and television production studios and cable networks FX, FXX and National Geographic. While Murphy's current FX and Fox shows will repotedly remain on their respective channels, his depature is a major loss for the company.
Murphy in a statement said: "The history of this moment is not lost on me. 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."
