Because what can’t he do, Ryan Murphy wants to make a #MeToo anthology series
TV god Ryan Murphy has long made a career out of niche and highly-stylized television series, so his latest idea is extremely on-brand. Ryan Murphy wants to make a #MeToo anthology series, and it’s definitely a bold idea.
Murphy reportedly wants to helm a #MeToo anthology series not unlike Netflix’s Black Mirror.
Television critic Emily Nussbaum recently profiled the showrunner for a New Yorker profile, which is where he first let the news slip. After years of working with Fox and FX, Murphy is *potentially* developing a new series exclusively for Netflix — and it might be an anthology series inspired by the #MeToo movement.
As Nussbaum writes:
“The show would be called Consent — potentially, a new American Crime Story. It would follow a Black Mirror model: every episode would explore a different story, starting with an insidery account of the Weinstein Company. There would be an episode about Kevin Spacey, one about an ambiguous he-said-she-said encounter.”
Most interestingly, while Murphy would create the series overall, he’d hand the reins to a different creator and director for each individual episode. That way, each hour would truly be unique from the last — and ideally handled by the most experienced, qualified, and appropriate person for the task.
The Netflix deal isn’t finalized, but it’s obvious that Murphy is already planning on how to tackle the sensitive topic.
As is detailed in his New Yorker interview, the showrunner has experienced abuse in his past. He’s also been a part of Hollywood for a long time, and likely has insider information — and access — that a newcomer might not. It’s a bold choice for a television series, certainly, but if it can be handled with tact and grace, it might actually work out. Again, nothing is set in stone, but still: A Ryan Murphy anthology series without witches, murder, or musical theater might be his most unnerving yet.