Ryan Murphy Opens Up About 'The Shards,' American Horror Story Season 13, and the Year That Shaped Him
Ryan Murphy has called 1981 the most seminal year of his life — and now he is turning it into television. In an interview with Variety published 12 August 2026, the producer spoke at length about The Shards, his forthcoming series based on Bret Easton Ellis's novel, a faux-autobiography about a version of Ellis living in Los Angeles in 1981.
Murphy is writing and directing the series himself, according to The Hollywood Reporter THR. He revealed a three-season plan and a specific budget figure in that interview, though he did not disclose the number publicly. The casting process has already involved Richard Gere and Kaia Gerber. Murphy told Ellis directly that he had greenlight power — meaning the authority to order the series straight to production without a pilot — to make the show Variety.
This is not Murphy's first attempt at the material. An earlier adaptation deal with HBO and director Luca Guadagnino fell through before Murphy took the project on himself.
The personal stakes for Murphy run deep. In February 1981, at age 16, he had his first sexual experience and came out of the closet, he told Variety. Growing up in a Catholic family, he described that year as transformative. After a New York Times article about AIDS ran in 1981, Murphy said he linked all forms of intimacy with death and dying — a connection that has surfaced repeatedly in his work across American Horror Story, Monster, and other series.
His first encounter with television's power was visceral. Murphy recalled watching the All in the Family episode in which the character Edith is attacked on her 50th birthday. He was wailing and crying, he said — a moment that taught him what the medium could do to a viewer.
Murphy credits Norman Lear, the creator of All in the Family, with shaping that understanding. Lear called Murphy in 2009, after the early successes of Glee, and the two stayed in touch. Murphy said the lesson he learned from Lear was simple: never listen to anybody but your inner voice Variety.
On 14 August 2026, Murphy will receive the Norman Lear Award at Variety's Showrunners Breakfast — the third annual presentation of the honour, which recognises a body of work embodying Lear's legacy of creativity and visionary storytelling Variety.
Murphy's current roster is busy on multiple fronts. His shows Monster and Love Story both received Emmy nominations this season. And American Horror Story is returning for its thirteenth instalment with a cast that pulls together some of the franchise's most recognisable names.
Season 13 will bring back Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, and Gabourey Sidibe, Murphy confirmed Variety. Jessica Lange is also returning — her first appearance in the anthology since earlier seasons. Frances Conroy, Leslie Grossman, and Avantika round out the ensemble THR, along with Ariana Grande.
One thing Murphy wants to settle: Season 13 is not a Coven sequel, despite the returning cast members who appeared in that 2013 instalment Variety.
For Murphy, 1981 was the year that built him. In 2026, it is the year he keeps returning to on screen.
