Ryan Murphy’s ‘Hollywood’ Series: What We Know So Far

Hollywood – Copyright. Netflix

Ryan Murphy is working with Netflix on many projects as part of an exclusive output deal from the prolific film and TV maker. One of the projects coming to Netflix in 2020 is the flashy Hollywood series. Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming title.

The show was initially announced all the way back in February 2019. In the announcement, they told us the series is set to be “love letter to the Golden Age of Tinseltown”. In addition, we also know that Ian Brennan who worked on Scream Queens would also be involved in the project.

Set during the 1940s in Hollywood’s golden age, it’ll focus on multiple storylines throughout the era that intertwines. It could really be compared to Once Upon A Time in Hollywood but as a TV show.

Technically, Hollywood will be Ryan Murphy’s first solo project for Netflix since the overall output deal Netflix struck in 2018. If you’re thinking “The Politician released first” you’d be correct. However, Fox is the distributor and owner of that show. Therefore, Hollywood is the first. As you may have heard, The Politician is already due another season likely due out in 2020.

When will Hollywood season 1 be on Netflix?

After much rumour and speculation season 1 of Hollywood will be coming to Netflix on Friday. May 1st, 2020.

Hollywood will have a total of eight episodes, to which all eight will be available to stream on Netflix upon release.

Where is Hollywood being filmed?

Principle photography took place in the summer of 2019 according to Ryan Murphy’s Instagram post. Here’s what was captioned alongside a picture of the famous Hollywood sign:

“Hollywood” — my new Netflix show co-created with Ian Brennan — begins principal photography this summer. A love letter to the Golden Age of Tinseltown, this straight-to-series production will be my third show for Netflix and I couldn’t be more excited or proud about the work we are doing together.

Filming for the series took place between September 16th, 2019 and wrapped up production on January 15th, 2020.

Filming primarily took place in Los Angeles which makes sense given the subject matter of the series.

Who’s starring in Hollywood on Netflix?

As with many of the other Ryan Murphy productions, you often see familiar faces as returning actors and actresses go-between titles. In Hollywood, you’ll see at least four familiar faces from Ryan Murphy’s FX series, American Horror Story.

Ryan Murphy’s upcoming Netflix original, 1940s-set period piece ‘Hollywood’, starring #AHS alums Dylan McDermott, Darren Criss, Patti LuPone — & girlfriend of Sarah Paulson, Holland Taylor — has officially entered production in Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/mY2eZHQCWe

— AHS Daily (@ahsfxdaily) September 21, 2019

Darren Criss is set to both star and executive produce the series as he announced on Instagram back in September 2019 saying:

“Honored to say that I’m heading back to the House of Murphy where I’ll be starring in but also executive producing HOLLYWOOD with Time’s King of Television.”

Among the other cast members announced for Hollywood are:

• Elizabeth Smidth (Phyllis)
• Patti LuPone (Avis)
• Jake Picking (Rock Hudson)
• Jeremy Pope (Archie Coleman)
• Kerry Knuppe (Sally)
• Maude Apatow (Henrietta)
• Julia Pace Mitchell (Hattie McDaniel)
• David Corenswet (Jack)
• Laura Harrier (Camille)

In December 2019, just as the series goes into filming, we got word of a few more cast members that have joined. These include

Mira Sorvino, Rob Reiner and Michelle Krusiec have been added to the cast of Ryan Murphy’s upcoming Hollywood series. pic.twitter.com/3mQ7w06lLW

— What’s on Netflix (@whatonnetflix) December 26, 2019

In January 2020, we got word that Paget Brewster who has appeared in titles such as Criminal Minds, voiced Lana Lang in all the recent Warner Brothers animated Batman titles.

Casting news! Paget Brewster (@pagetpaget) has been cast in Netflix’s upcoming Ryan Murphy series, Hollywood. pic.twitter.com/sPo7uF77Fn

— What’s on Netflix (@whatonnetflix) January 14, 2020

Other Hollywood Series News

• On December 12th, 2019 some onset pictures were found by AHSfxdaily that shows Jim Parsons and Jake Picking in their costumes.

Jim Parsons and Jake Picking on the set of Ryan Murphy’s upcoming Netflix limited series “Hollywood.” #Hollywood pic.twitter.com/XWZQ19Euqd

— AHS Daily (@ahsfxdaily) December 12, 2019

• On December 20th, Darren Criss was seen walking on set in Los Angeles, behind Laura Harrier in full costume sporting a red dress.

Darren Criss, Samara Weaving, Laura Harrier and Dylan McDermott on the set of Ryan Murphy’s upcoming Netflix limited series “Hollywood.” #Hollywood pic.twitter.com/nCu2WrP9bZ

— AHS Daily (@ahsfxdaily) December 20, 2019

We received some of our first official looks at Hollywood on Apil 2nd, when Netflix released images through its social media accounts:

FIRST LOOK: Hollywood

A limited series about a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers (@DarrenCriss @corenswet @jrmypope @LauraHarrier @Sweaving & Jake Picking) in post-World War II Hollywood trying to make it in Tinseltown — no matter the cost. pic.twitter.com/MmDYV0lOyC

— See What’s Next (@seewhatsnext) April 2, 2020

Hollywood aims to expose and examine decades-old power dynamics, and reveal what the entertainment landscape might look like today if they had been dismantled.

All episodes premiere May 1 pic.twitter.com/aKNSQxPMuS

— See What’s Next (@seewhatsnext) April 2, 2020

Will there be a season 2 of Hollywood on Netflix?

At the moment, it’s believed that Hollywood is a “limited series” which means once season 1 releases, that’s it.

However, when you look at the tags assigned to the official Netflix page for the series, it has “anthology” listed. That leads us to believe that each season (similar to Murphy’s work on AHS and American Crime Story) we’ll see a different story play out. The title of the series certainly allows plenty of room to maneuver through many decades.

That’s all we have on Netflix’s upcoming Ryan Murphy series Hollywood so far. If you want to add it to your queue to get notified when it releases, you can do so on the show’s official page here.

Are you looking forward to the release of Hollywood? Let us know in the comments below!