Back in 2018, Netflix scored a coup of sorts when it snagged superstar producer Ryan Murphy from 20th Century Fox. Now that his five-year, nine-figure deal is over, he’s taking his talents over to Disney. It’s a huge loss for Netflix and a big win for Disney, as Ryan was responsible for huge hits like The Watcher and Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.
This marks another exit by a high-profile name at the company, following the departure of horror filmmaker Mike Flanagan and his partner Trevor Macy. Murphy will rejoin an old friend at Disney: Dana Walden. Walden and Murphy worked closely at 20th Century Fox, and she’s now the co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Murphy joined Netflix with an astonishing $300 million deal, but it took him a while to find his footing at the streamer. His first few efforts, Hollywood, Ratched, Halston and The Prom, were all busts. This year, though, he’s been on fire. Murphy’s deal ends in June, and there’s no word yet on when he’ll start at his new post.
Per Variety, Murphy’s arrival at Disney comes at an interesting time for the company. It’s been cleaning house with some cost-cutting measures that include 7,000 layoffs. completed in May. Disney wants to save $5.5 billion in cost savings, with $2.5 billion coming from “labor costs.”
Murphy also has previous shows still on the air, including American Horror Story, American Crime Story and 9-1-1. Neither Murphy or Disney have publicly commented on the move.