Ryan Murphy has rather a lot to have fun. He pulled off a feat that no different producer has but — he launched six exhibits in 10 days, and all of them have turn out to be hits on their respective platforms.

“I don’t know the way I did it, to be trustworthy, as a result of I actually collapsed final night time,” he tells The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday, following a whirlwind month of press the place he launched FX‘s American Sports activities Story: Aaron Hernandez, Netflix’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, FX’s Grotesquerie and ABC’s Physician Odyssey, together with returning sequence 911 on ABC and 911: Lone Star at Fox. “The truth that they’re all hits and all hit No. 1 upon launch, and all proceed to do very nicely on the varied platforms, I’m grateful. I’m grateful to all of the individuals who work at my firm, as a result of we’ve all been working our asses off for nearly 18 months to make this occur.”

Monsters stayed at No. 1 on Netflix’s world TV charts for a second straight week, incomes 19.5 million views (outlined as complete viewing time divided by operating time) and was a high 10 present for the streamer in 89 international locations. The present has 31.8 million views since its Sept. 19 launch, in line with Netflix’s figures.

On ABC, 911 (4.93 million viewers) and new sequence Physician Odyssey (4.23 million) premiered because the community’s No. 1 and No. 3 exhibits of the week in complete viewers (excluding sports activities). Physician Odyssey was ABC’s most watched drama sequence premiere since Large Sky in 2020, and three days of cross-platform viewing pushed its complete to 7.59 million. The ultimate season of 911: Lone Star, in the meantime, opened to 4.9 million multi-platform viewers on Fox, the community’s highest non-sports complete of the week.

Physician Odyssey, 911 and the 2 FX exhibits have all been fixtures in Hulu’s on-screen high 15 lists since their premieres. 

Beneath, Murphy talks to THR about these staggering statistics whereas additionally weighing in on the huge response to Monsters — sharing how he actually feels concerning the Menendez brothers and why he accredited of Netflix launching a participatory documentary with the brothers, which hits the streamer this weekend — in addition to which exhibits from the Murphy canon he’ll launch subsequent.

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You launched six new sequence over the previous 10 days. I don’t assume anybody has ever accomplished that earlier than.

I don’t assume so. I’m grateful as a result of every little thing lined up — it couldn’t have gone higher. That’s what I marvel at. I’ve been engaged on a variety of these items for 2 or three years, however due to the strike and completely different orders — how issues are reported and when issues have to hit — they have been all recommended to run at that date. And I believed, “Properly that’s sort of enjoyable,” as a result of I don’t assume anybody has accomplished that and, greater than that, I just like the vitality of it. A lot creativity, a lot work from our model directly. All of the exhibits are very completely different, however they’ve the identical DNA.

Once they all come out collectively, it’s important to then promote the exhibits . How do you divide your consideration amongst your infants on this second?

I’ve actually good follow as a result of I’m a father of three. I’ve discovered how one can love all of them in equal measure (laughs). There’s all the time a fireplace of the day that it’s important to put out, when you’ve this many exhibits in manufacturing: “OK, what’s the issue to cope with at this time?” However I really like the vitality of it. The exhibits are all so completely different. One is a real crime, one is a sports activities factor, one is a horror present out of my mind, one is a tribute to the ABC exhibits of my youth. It’s all very completely different, and I’ve liked engaged on all of them. I’m so happy with the solid and crews. However I don’t know the way I did it, to be trustworthy, as a result of I actually collapsed final night time. I used to be so drained and my associate David [Miller] was like, “Properly, no shit you’re drained.” So, I’m taking my nutritional vitamins at this time.

Will you ever repeat one of these rollout once more?

I in all probability wouldn’t do it once more. The factor that I forgot is, not solely do it’s important to make the exhibits nice and attempt to make them profitable, you additionally should cope with the advertising and promoting. I’m an individual at my firm who single-handedly does that with all of my community companions. Now we’ve got to promote them. We’ve to sing for our supper. So, I don’t know. I say no, I in all probability wouldn’t have six exhibits come out in a month once more. However perhaps subsequent time I’ll strive for eight! I do not know. However, my intestine says no. Once we have been heading towards this run, everybody was like, “Are you positive you are able to do this?” And I mentioned sure. So, I’m glad it occurred.

There was such a response to Monsters. Now that you’ve an thought of how individuals are consuming the sequence on Netflix, are you assured that, by the present’s finish, for the individuals who watch all through, the present delivered on what you got down to do?

Sure, 100%. Ian [Brennan, co-creator] and I got down to do precisely what we wished to do. And I’ll let you know my ideas concerning the Menendez brothers. The Menendez brothers ought to be sending me flowers. They haven’t had a lot consideration in 30 years. And it’s gotten the eye of not solely this nation, however all around the world. There’s kind of an outpouring of curiosity of their lives and within the case. I do know for a proven fact that many individuals have supplied to assist them due to the curiosity of my present and what we did. There isn’t any world that we reside in the place the Menendez brothers or their wives or attorneys would say, “You understand what, that was a beautiful, correct depiction of our shoppers.” That was by no means going to occur, and I wasn’t inquisitive about that occuring.

The factor that the Menendez brothers and their folks neglect is that we have been telling a narrative that was a really broad canvas. We have been telling the story of Dominick Dunne [played by Nathan Lane], of Leslie Abramson [played by Ari Graynor]. We have been additionally telling the story of the mother and father [José and Kitty Menendez, played by Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny], who they blew their heads off; we have been additionally telling their story. We had an obligation to so many individuals, not simply to Erik and Lyle. However that’s what I discover so fascinating; that they’re taking part in the sufferer card proper now — “poor, pitiful us” — which I discover reprehensible and disgusting.

I additionally assume that two issues could be true on the similar time. I believe they may have killed their mother and father, and in addition had been abused. They might have been of ambiguous ethical character as younger folks, and be rehabilitated now. So I believe that story is difficult. I’m thrilled with the response to it. I’m actually thrilled with how individuals are responding to the performances, significantly of Cooper [Koch] and Nicholas [Alexander Chavez], who actually killed themselves to do justice to these boys. I believe Cooper and Nicholas are way more empathetic in direction of the Menendez brothers than I’m, however good. There’s room for all factors of view.

Netflix introduced the Menendez Brothers documentary shortly after Monsters launched, which has the brothers collaborating with new audio interviews. Do you view these as complementary viewing, and do you propose to look at the documentary?

I’m not going to look at it, as a result of I’m not inquisitive about anything concerning the Menendez brothers. I don’t wish to watch the documentary. I’ve no real interest in assembly them. I’ve no real interest in speaking to their attorneys or their wives. I’ve simply kind of accomplished it, as a result of I used to be telling an even bigger story, a cultural story. I wasn’t doing a biography of them. I used to be telling a narrative a few sure place in time. Pay attention, I’m positive they are going to be thrilled with that documentary, as a result of a variety of it’s supposedly in their very own voices. Apparently there’s new info that they declare, together with concerning the sexual abuse from their mom, who they claimed sexually abused them.

The story has all the time fascinated folks, together with myself, as a result of we’ll by no means actually know what occurred. It’s an unknowable thriller. There have been 4 folks concerned in that story and two of them have been shot within the face. So I believe that the general public’s fascination is limitless, as a result of there’s no reply. We’ll by no means know in the event that they informed the reality, we are going to by no means know in the event that they have been sexually abused for positive. We’ll by no means know if the mother and father have been the monsters.

However, within the case of Netflix, they’ve been such nice companions. They launched the documentary on Jeffrey Dahmer a few weeks after [Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story] got here out. And I believe these items of programming can splendidly reside hand in hand. In fact, they requested me about my opinions, and I accredited of it, and I mentioned sure. It’s a unique standpoint of an unknowable story that folks have an actual diploma of curiosity in, as a result of I truly assume it forces you to have a look at your individual relationships with your individual mother and father, with yourselves. There’s one thing deeper concerning the Menendez brothers’ story that may be very fascinating. So I say, go for it.

Subsequent yr, we’re doing the Ed Gein story [starring Charlie Hunnam as the serial murderer], which is a really completely different Monster. But when they wish to have a documentary on the Ed Gein case? Nice. I really like how Netflix does that.

You sound such as you’ve cleansed your self of the Menendez story, now that it’s launched and you’re shifting onto your subsequent tasks.

I actually did say every little thing I needed to say about them, and there’s nothing they’ll inform me that I really feel I don’t know. I do know what their perspective is. I do know what they’re going to say. It’s what they’ve all the time mentioned; I don’t know if it’s the reality. What I actually wished to do, we did. I used to be by no means that within the Menendez brothers. What I used to be inquisitive about was the subject of sexual abuse. I used to be inquisitive about, particularly, the subject of male sexual abuse, and I wished to speak about it. It’s one thing in our tradition we hardly ever discuss. I did assume it was outrageous throughout that [Menendez] trial that so many males, significantly within the second trial, felt there was no such factor as male sexual abuse. That was an outrage. I used to be inquisitive about that. And I do know that’s launched a variety of conversations. In my very own life, so many individuals have reached out to me who I didn’t even know have been sexually abused. Our present gave them a strategy to have a dialog. And for that, I’m tremendously proud.

A habeas corpus petition was filed in 2023 to get their sentences diminished and there may be new proof, a few of which you talked about. Do you assume there might be a brand new trial?

I believe if there may be new proof, it ought to be examined. I don’t assume the second trial was honest. We are saying this within the present: What was occurring in Los Angeles was so explosive after the L.A. riots and after O.J. [Simpson], and I believe these brothers have been in all probability by no means going to be given their honest day in courtroom. So I truly assume if there may be new proof, it ought to be examined. I don’t know, even if you’re sexually abused, does that provide the proper to homicide your mother and father? That’s the larger query. That’s for different folks to resolve. I do know lots of people who have been sexually abused who didn’t blow their mother and father’ heads off. I believe it’s a really difficult query: Ought to the brand new proof be checked out? Does that forgive what they did? I don’t know. That’s for different folks to resolve.

What exhibits are you filming subsequent, and what exhibits will probably be popping out subsequent from you?

I begin directing a present I’m actually enthusiastic about this Friday — All’s Truthful with Kim Kardashian, Glenn Shut, Naomi Watts, Sarah Paulson and Niecy Nash. That may in all probability be the following present to return out, subsequent fall. That begins taking pictures this week. Then I end directing that and I am going off to New York and Europe to work with Evan Peters, Jeremy Pope, Anthony Ramos and Ashton Kutcher on The Magnificence. After that, I begin the Carolyn Bessette-JFK love story [for American Love Story at FX]. We’re going to start out taking pictures that within the spring. So I’m booked and blessed, as they are saying. However I really like what I do, so why wouldn’t I do it? I actually find it irresistible. And subsequent, American Horror Tales comes out in October, so I’ve had a really bountiful harvest.

When is the following season of American Horror Story coming?

You understand, that’s an fascinating query. I used to be speaking to Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters about that the opposite day, so perhaps prior to you assume.