Ryan Murphy is adapting this hit indie horror comic, but there’s a twist

Ryan Murphy’s next (and hopefully less controversial) project is an adaptation of horror graphic novel The Beauty, Deadline reports. The FX series will depict a world where an STI makes those who get it beautiful with (seemingly) no strings attached, and it has cast Evan Peters, Anthony Ramos, Jeremy Pope and Ashton Kutcher.

The Beauty, which was written by Jeremy Haun and Jason A Hurley, earned a cult following its 2016 launch and throughout its 29-issue run. After a two-year hiatus, the comic concluded with a two part finale in 2021. Now, it looks like fans will have to wait only a little longer for the story to carry on to the small screen.

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Although no official details on the upcoming series have been released, the graphic novel description gives some idea of the premise. “Modern society is obsessed with outward beauty,” the comic synopsis reads. “What if there was a way to guarantee you could become more and more beautiful every day? What if it was a sexually transmitted disease?

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“In the world of The Beauty, physical perfection is attainable. The vast majority of the population has taken advantage of it, but Detectives Foster and Vaughn will soon discover it comes at a terrible price.”

In the first issue’s opening pages, readers learn that two years have passed since the STI’s appearance and over half the US is carrying it, now that it has become a fad. While some people desperately chase the Beauty, others strongly oppose it. Doctors urge the public to treat the new and largely unknown infection with caution, and anti-Beauty terrorist cells have also sprung into action.

What seems to be a relatively harmless (if not a beneficial) infection turns into a nightmare when the very first person to get the Beauty dies. From there, the series follows Detectives Foster and Vaughn, whose investigation of the death leads them down a rabbit hole of conspiracy.

In the graphic novel, the two lead detectives are a man/woman duo, but so far only male leads have been announced in the series’ cast. The search for an actress to portray Vaughn is reportedly still in progress. Peters will likely portray Foster while Kutcher is rumored to play a tech billionaire. Other casting details are so far under wraps.

The first season of FX’s The Beauty is confirmed to run 11 episodes and production is slated to begin later this fall.

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