If there’s one thing Ryan Murphy does best, it’s turn twisted tales into cultural phenomena. And this time, he’s not going it alone. Murphy is teaming up with rising star Kaia Gerber to develop The Shards, a series adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ 2023 horror-tinged novel for FX.
According to Variety, the project is in early development, with Gerber set to lead and Max Winkler attached to direct. Part semi-autobiographical, part serial-killer thriller, The Shards is Ellis’ haunting exploration of 1980s Los Angeles. Drenched in paranoia, obsession, and murder.
For Gerber, it is a high-risk comeback to TV with the potential to reboot her acting career. The model-turned-actress last appeared on American Horror Story: Double Feature and American Horror Stories, both of which were directed by Murphy. From the catwalks of Paris to the sun-drenched terror of Palm Royale, Gerber has consistently defied expectations, and The Shards might be her breakout lead.
Meanwhile, Murphy continues to expand his reign as TV’s genre-bending king, with a slate of upcoming titles under his Disney deal that includes The Beauty, American Love Story, and the Kim Kardashian-led All’s Fair.
But what’s making The Shards extra intriguing? Its source material is as unreliable as the characters who populate it.
Kaia Gerber is more than just runway royalty
While Kaia Gerber may have inherited her mother Cindy Crawford’s modeling legacy, she’s forging her path in front of the camera, and not just with flashbulbs!
Starting her acting career with Sister Cities and scoring praise for Palm Royale and Bottoms, Gerber has proven she can deliver comedy, pathos, and now, apparently… psychological horror!
Her collaborations with Murphy on AHS showcased a taste for the eerie, but The Shards might plunge her even deeper. Gerber’s role is still under wraps, but based on the novel’s plot, she could be portraying a member of the tight-knit Buckley prep school crew. Or even a figure tied to the chilling Trawler killer.
Either way, it’s the kind of complex material that pushes a young performer beyond ingénue status.
And Gerber seems more than ready. Her fearless pick of roles might make her Murphy’s next great muse. And we can barely contain our excitement!
Ryan Murphy returns to what he does best
From the high-camp horror of AHS to the noir stylings of Feud, Ryan Murphy has never shied away from excess, and The Shards is a perfect fit for his signature blend of glossy surface and rotten core.
The novel is practically made for TV: a teen narrator (a fictionalized Bret Easton Ellis) grows obsessed with a charismatic new classmate, while the looming threat of a serial killer, the Trawler, tears through their posh L.A. bubble.
Murphy’s best work has always leaned into contradiction: beauty and brutality in Nip/Tuck, nostalgia and nihilism in Glee, historical reverence and reinvention in Pose. With The Shards, he has the chance to look into psychological territory that echoes American Horror Story, but with a plot like The Watcher or Monster.
And let’s not forget Max Winkler (no stranger to Murphy’s universe), who brings a visual edge honed on Grotesquerie and Feud. If the show is greenlit, expect dreamlike decadence to meet true crime.
