When it comes to Ryan Murphy, the only thing you should expect is the unexpected. The prolific TV writer and producer has about as varied a list of shows that he created as you can get. Starting his career with medical drama Nip/Tuck, then pivoting to teen musical Glee, then horror anthology American Horror Story, changing gears to sitcoms with The New Normal, swinging to crime anthology American Crime Story, followed by slasher satire Scream Queens, faux-documentary Feud, ballroom drama Pose, and then most recently, a political dramedy with The Politician. As varied as that is, if there’s one thing Murphy has always included in his work though, it’s an unblinkered approach when it comes to addressing race and sexuality. He never dances around social issues or just pays them lip service, like some others in Hollywood. And now he’s taking that approach to its extreme expression.
Hollywood is Murphy’s newest production and the latest entry in his Netflix deal. Teaming up again with frequent collaborator Ian Brennan, this new creation is set in the heyday of glamourous 1950s Hollywood, following the movers and shakers as well as the upcoming stars of the time. But not quite like the history books told us. Janet Mock, who worked with Murphy on Pose and is again writing and directing here, explained to Indiewire this alternate take on the creation of Hollywood.
With the present so fraught and the future uncertain, we turned to the past for direction, uncovering buried history to spin an aspirational tale of what ifs:
What if a band of outsiders were given a chance to tell their own story? What if the person with greenlight power was a woman? The screenwriter a black man? What if the heroine was a woman of color? The matinee idol openly gay? And what if they were all invited into the room where the decisions are made, entering fully and unapologetically themselves to leave victorious and vaunted, their place in history cemented.
Given the actual controversial politics of the real Hollywood, that’s quite a spin, and one that I’m certain will upset a few people right off the bat, before they had even seen a single episode. Given Murphy’s track record for how he handles such things though – not to mention the six Primetime Emmy wins out of 28 nominations and one Tony Award – I’m most definitely hyped to see to how this plays out. Especially after checking out this explosive first trailer released last night.
HOLLYWOOD follows a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in post-World War II Hollywood as they try to make it in Tinseltown — no matter the cost. Each character offers a unique glimpse behind the gilded curtain of Hollywood’s Golden Age, spotlighting the unfair systems and biases across race, gender and sexuality that continue to this day.
Along with the trailer above, Netflix has also released a batch of images, showing off the glitz, glamour, and grime of this alternate dreamland.
Hollywood stars a number of actors that Murphy has worked extensively with in the past like Glee’s Darren Criss and The Politician’s David Corenswet, but it also has a bunch of other talent in the forms of Laura Harrier, Samara Weaving, Jeremy Pope, Dylan McDermott, Holland Taylor, Jim Parsons, Jake Picking, Queen Latifa, and Broadway legend Patti Lupone. The 7-episode first season will premiere on Netflix on 1 May 2020.
Last Updated: April 21, 2020
