Ryan Murphy Is Taking His Netflix Money And Running To A New Home At Disney

On June 20, 2023, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Ryan Murphy, superstar producer for Netflix, will soon complete his five-year contract at the streamer and will be taking a high-profile gig at Disney. Reportedly, Murphy's Netflix salary was in the nine-figure range. 

Murphy's list of credits is extensive and impressive. As a filmmaker, he directed high-profile feel-good dramedies like "Running with Scissors," "Eat Pray Love," and "The Prom," while producing notable queer documentaries like "Pray Away," "A Secret Love," and "Circus of Books." His largest successes, however, have come from TV. Murphy is the credited creator of such shows as "Nip/Tuck," "Glee," "American Horror Story," "The New Normal," "9-1-1," "Pose," and, most recently, "Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" and "The Watcher." The latter two were for Netflix, as were his shows "Ratched" (a prequel to "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"), "Halston," "The Politician," and "Hollywood."

Murphy has won six Emmys, two Golden Globes, a Tony, and was nominated for two Grammys. 

When the new deal goes into effect, the veteran showrunner will be joining his old 20th Century Fox TV producing partner Dana Walden, who currently co-chairs Disney Entertainment. This comes after his move to Netflix in 2018 which, according to the Hollywood Reporter, netted Murphy $300 million. While Murphy produced shows for Netflix, he continued to work on shows for his old gig at Fox, making him one of the wealthiest and highest-profile TV producers in the world. 

According to Deadline, Murphy is still going to produce the second season of "Monster" and the second season of "The Watcher" for Netflix during his transition to Disney. Murphy's exact title at Disney has not yet been announced, nor have details of his contract, or what projects he may be working on at the company. Many of Murphy's biggest hits were initially broadcast on FX, which is now owned by Disney. It seems he is gathering under the umbrella where the bulk of his output currently rests. One assumes he would resume making shows for FX (or perhaps FX on Hulu), but nothing is set in stone yet.

Murphy, a creator and writer, made his Disney deal in the midst of a prolonged strike by the Writers' Guild of America. Deadline noted that the current season of "American Horror Story" has remained in production during the strike. 

His style as a filmmaker tilts toward broad melodrama and soap opera dynamics, and many of his shows feature multiple queer characters. He has been a notable voice in Hollywood diversification as well; MovieWeb noted that 60% of Murphy's shows are directed by women, and that he is the co-founder of the Half Initiative, which assures that at least half of his crew is staffed by LGBTQIA+ people, people of color, or women. 

Because of his often melodramatic storylines, Murphy's shows have generally been well-received by a mass audience, hence why his paycheck at Netflix was so large. Further reports as to Murphy's Disney projects will be reported as they are announced.