Filmmaker Ryan Murphy and actress Sarah Paulson have become an integral pair in the landscape of recent television. The duo collaborated on some of the strongest shows in recent memory, including American Horror Story, American Crime Story: The People v. OJ Simpson, and Feud. Now, Vulture has reported that yet another series will be added to the list.
Netflix will be taking on Ryan Murphy’s next series, which will be a prequel story following the early days of Nurse Ratched before the events of Milos Forman’s classic 1975 film, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Sarah Paulson is attached to star as Nurse Ratched herself.
After a highly competitive bidding war, Netflix beat out other streaming competitors and recently secured the rights to the show, which has been confirmed for two seasons of 18 episodes total. The series is titled Ratched, with Murphy directing all episodes.
Murphy will also serve as executive producer alongside Michael Douglas (who was a producer on the 1975 film). Paulson will work as a producer as well. The series was created and written by new writer Evan Romansky, who is reportedly right out of film school.
Ratched will serve as an origins story for the iconic villain Nurse Ratched, who was played by Louise Fletcher (who went on to win the Oscar for Best Actress with the role) in the original film. Its story will begin in 1947 and track Ratched’s career through the years as she turns from average nurse to the woman found in Milos Forman’s film.
Sarah Paulson and Ryan Murphy’s latest season of American Horror Story, American Horror Story: Cult premiered recently on September 5th. Paulson was also confirmed earlier this year to star in an additional installment of Murphy’s American Crime Story, which will begin filming at the end of this year.