The Beauty is an American science fiction body horror television series created by Ryan Murphy and Matthew Hodgson. It is based on the comic book The Beauty, written by Jeremy Haun and Jason A. Hurley, and stars Evan Peters, Anthony Ramos, Jeremy Pope, Rebecca Hall, and Ashton Kutcher. The series premiered on FX and Hulu on January 21, 2026.
FBI agents Cooper Madsen and Jordan Bennett investigate a series of unexplained deaths among international supermodels. Their inquiry leads to the discovery of a sexually transmitted virus called "The Beauty," which grants physical attractiveness but carries fatal consequences. As they trace its origins, the agents uncover a connection to a powerful and secretive tech figure known as "The Corporation," who seeks to protect the drug and its global expansion. Pursued by a hired operative known as "The Assassin," the agents continue their investigation across multiple international cities amid the growing outbreak.
On September30, 2024, FX gave the project an 11-episode series order. The series is based on The Beauty, a creator-owned comic book written by Jeremy Haun and JasonA. Hurley and published by Image Comics. The original comic follows two detectives investigating a sexually transmitted disease that makes those infected physically beautiful but ultimately proves fatal due to side effects.
Mac Quayle, a frequent collaborator with Murphy, composed the score for the series.
Upon the series order announcement, Peters, Ramos, Pope, and Ashton Kutcher were cast in starring roles. Rebecca Hall was cast as part of the main cast by the time the series had begun production. In February 2025, it was reported that Isabella Rossellini had joined the cast in a recurring role.
Filming began on December 2, 2024, in New York City. The production filmed in Pearl River, New York, in late January 2025.
Murphy has described The Beauty as a commentary on "Ozempic culture" and the broader social fixation on rapid, drug-assisted physical transformation. In promotional interviews, Murphy framed the story around the question of how much people would be willing to sacrifice in pursuit of beauty, positioning the series as an extension of themes explored in his earlier work Nip/Tuck while emphasizing its science fiction and body-horror elements.
The trailer for The Beauty was released on January 5, 2026. Within seven days, it amassed nearly 190 million views across social media platforms, making it FX's most-viewed trailer to date. The Beauty premiered on January 21, on FX, Hulu, and Hulu on Disney+, with the first three episodes released immediately and the remaining episodes released weekly in the United States. Internationally, the series is also set to be released on Disney+.
The series holds a 71% approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 62 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Caking on visceral splatter over an engaging takedown of modern beauty standards, Ryan Murphy's gonzo sci-fi horror is a disgustingly good time, even if its cultural commentary only goes skin deep." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 64 out of 100 based on 31 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
The Beauty premiered on FX on January 21, 2026, drawing a total audience (P2+) of 512,400 viewers with a 0.16 rating, including 294,600 household viewers (0.23 rating). Subsequent episodes recorded 297,900 viewers (0.09) on January 28, 183,000 (0.06) on February 4, and 206,000 (0.06) on February 11. Later broadcasts drew 266,000 viewers (0.08) on February 18 and 251,000 (0.08) on February 25. The episode broadcast on March 4, 2026, drew 170,000 viewers (0.05), including 40,800 viewers aged 18âÂÂ49 (0.03 rating), 37,700 viewers aged 25âÂÂ54 (0.03 rating), and 166,500 household viewers (0.13 rating). Over this period, total viewership (P2+) ranged from 170,000 to 512,400 viewers, while ratings among adults aged 18âÂÂ49 varied between 0.03 and 0.07.