On January 22, Disney+ will premiere FX The Beauty, a high-concept thriller from Ryan Murphy that blends FBI investigation, body horror, and a sharp critique of our culture’s fixation on flawless looks. Inspired by the comic series from Jeremy Haun and Jason A. Hurley, the show jumps between Paris, Venice, Rome, and New York, with an international cast and a premise designed to spark debate in 2026’s social media–driven world.
Why FX The Beauty Is One of Disney+’s Most Talked-About Genre Bets of 2026
Streaming platforms are constantly chasing the next buzzy title—and FX The Beauty checks several boxes for Disney+ and the U.S. market:
- A recognizable creator brand: Ryan Murphy, here teamed with Matthew Hodgson
- A hybrid concept: procedural FBI thriller meets sci‑fi, body transformation, and social satire
- Star power and celebrity cameos from fashion, film, and music
- Visually rich European and American locations that feel global but aspirational
For viewers in the United States, the series also lands at a time when cosmetic procedures, filters, AI-enhanced images, and TikTok beauty trends are part of everyday conversation. FX The Beauty leans directly into that cultural moment by asking what happens when perfection itself becomes contagious.
Story Setup: A Glamorous Industry, Brutal Deaths, and a Perfecting Virus
The show opens far from standard FBI office corridors. Instead, the fashion world is in panic: several top international models die in intensely violent and disturbing circumstances. The pattern is too precise to dismiss as coincidence, and the brutality clashes against the glossy backdrop of luxury photoshoots and runway shows.
To untangle what’s happening, the FBI sends two agents—Cooper Madsen (Evan Peters) and Jordan Bennett (Rebecca Hall)—across the Atlantic to Paris. Their arrival in Europe reframes the story from glamorous travelogue to international manhunt.
While digging into the models’ lives and relationships, Madsen and Bennett uncover something far more destabilizing than a serial killer: a sexually transmitted virus that physically “upgrades” anyone it infects, turning them into an idealized version of themselves. Beauty becomes not just a standard to live up to, but a literal transformation, built into the flesh.
This metamorphosis has a cost. The series doesn’t treat the virus as a simple wish-fulfillment fantasy. Along with the makeover comes psychological fallout, physical risks, and social chaos. As the infection spreads through elite circles and then leaks out into the broader public, FX The Beauty explores how image-obsessed systems—fashion, celebrity culture, and media ecosystems—respond when the dream of perfection suddenly looks attainable.
- International FBI investigation that quickly becomes more than a standard crime case
- A sexually transmitted virus that rewrites physical appearance
- Key sequences set in Paris, Venice, Rome, and New York for a truly global scope
The Corporation and THE BEAUTY: Tech, Power, and the Weaponization of Desire
As the body count rises and the virus spreads, the agents’ trail leads to a powerful and elusive figure: the billionaire founder of a tech giant known as “The Corporation,” played by Ashton Kutcher. Rather than staying in the shadows, this character embodies the collision of Silicon Valley disruption, pharmaceutical ambition, and ruthless corporate logic.
At the heart of his empire lies a groundbreaking substance called THE BEAUTY. This formula is tied directly to the transformations agents Madsen and Bennett are tracking. It’s not just a product; it’s the catalyst for a new social order, one where looks can be redesigned with terrifying efficiency.
The Corporation’s CEO will protect THE BEAUTY at any cost. To do it, he calls on a chilling operative known only as “The Assassin,” portrayed by Anthony Ramos—a figure who moves through the series as both an enforcer and a reminder that behind every sleek innovation often lies violence.
Outside these boardrooms and backroom deals, the audience follows Jeremy (played by Jeremy Pope), an ordinary man pulled into the crisis. He’s not a law enforcement officer or a billionaire; instead, he’s our emotional anchor. Through Jeremy, the show examines what happens when a regular person is forced to make choices in a world where transformation is tempting, dangerous, and possibly irreversible.
As the outbreak accelerates, the narrative shifts into a race against time. The question isn’t just how to stop the virus, but whether society even wants to stop something that promises the one thing so many people are already chasing: perfection.
By the time the different storylines collide, FX The Beauty is juggling intersecting themes: the commodification of bodies, the influence of tech billionaires on public health, and the moral gray zone between self-improvement and self-destruction.
Cast, Cameos, and Creative Team: Why the Talent Behind FX The Beauty Matters
For American viewers used to Ryan Murphy’s signature blend of glossy visuals and dark subject matter, the cast of FX The Beauty will feel like a carefully curated mix of prestige drama and pop culture spectacle.
The core ensemble includes:
- Evan Peters as FBI agent Cooper Madsen
- Rebecca Hall as FBI agent Jordan Bennett
- Ashton Kutcher as the enigmatic billionaire at the head of The Corporation
- Anthony Ramos as the feared fixer known as “The Assassin”
- Jeremy Pope as Jeremy, the civilian perspective caught in the middle of the crisis
On top of that core, the show leans into its fashion-and-celebrity DNA. Expect appearances from figures who already dominate American feeds and red carpets, including model Bella Hadid, legendary actress Isabella Rossellini, actor and singer Ben Platt, actress Nicola Peltz Beckham, and pop star Meghan Trainor. Their presence reinforces the central question: how do we relate to beauty when its rules are rewritten?
Behind the camera, the pedigree is just as important for understanding the show’s tone. FX The Beauty is created by Ryan Murphy and Matthew Hodgson, with production handled by 20th Television, aligning the series with other big-budget projects in the Disney television ecosystem.
- Creators: Ryan Murphy and Matthew Hodgson
- Production company: 20th Television
- Platform: Disney+ (U.S. streaming release)
Release Strategy on Disney+: How and When Episodes Will Drop
Disney+ is opting for a staged rollout designed to spark conversation rather than to be binged and forgotten. Here’s how the schedule is planned:
- January 22: The first three episodes become available at once, giving viewers enough story to understand the virus, the FBI investigation, and the key players.
- Following weeks: One new episode is released each week, building tension and encouraging weekly speculation on social media and in fan communities.
- Final stretch: The last four episodes drop in pairs, two at a time, to keep momentum high as the narrative races toward its conclusion.
This kind of hybrid release model—part mini-binge, part weekly appointment viewing—has become a common strategy for platforms looking to dominate both weekend viewing and ongoing online discussion. For a show like FX The Beauty, which leans heavily on big twists and moral dilemmas, that watercooler effect is part of the appeal.
The Big Question: What Would You Sacrifice to Be Perfect?
Underneath the chases, conspiracies, and shocking deaths, FX The Beauty keeps returning to one core idea: how far would someone go to become the best-looking version of themselves?
In an era when filters can remodel faces in seconds, AI can generate idealized bodies, and cosmetic enhancements are more normalized than ever in the United States, the show imagines a world where the divide between “natural” and “artificial” beauty gets erased. THE BEAUTY doesn’t just tweak a selfie; it rewrites your actual body.
The series invites viewers to consider:
- Is physical perfection inherently desirable, or does it always come at a cost?
- Who profits when beauty becomes a product that can be sold, injected, or transmitted?
- What happens to relationships, careers, and social hierarchies when almost anyone can look like a supermodel?
By threading these questions through a high-stakes FBI thriller, FX The Beauty aims to do more than shock. It wants to start conversations about how technology, media, and corporate power will define the bodies we live in—and the standards we judge ourselves against—over the next decade.
FAQ
When does FX The Beauty premiere on Disney+ in the U.S.?
FX The Beauty is scheduled to debut on Disney+ on January 22, with the first three episodes available to stream on that date.
What is the main storyline of FX The Beauty?
The series follows two FBI agents investigating a string of brutal deaths in the fashion world. Their case leads them to a sexually transmitted virus that transforms people into physically perfect versions of themselves, a powerful tech billionaire behind a substance called THE BEAUTY, and a global crisis that challenges how society thinks about appearance and identity.
Who stars in FX The Beauty?
The main cast includes Evan Peters, Rebecca Hall, Ashton Kutcher, Anthony Ramos, and Jeremy Pope. The series also features notable appearances from Bella Hadid, Isabella Rossellini, Ben Platt, Nicola Peltz Beckham, and Meghan Trainor, among others.
How many episodes will there be and how are they released?
Disney+ will roll out the season gradually. Three episodes drop at launch on January 22, followed by weekly releases. The final four episodes are released two at a time, creating a mix of bingeable chunks and ongoing weekly suspense.
