In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ryan Murphy shared that he and author Bret Easton Ellis discussed the possibility of extending the series well beyond its debut season.
Ryan Murphy Already Has a Long-Term Plan for The Shards
Although FX has not announced a second part, Murphy revealed that the creative team never viewed “The Shards” as a one-season project. Recalling his early conversations with Ellis, the producer said the author encouraged him to take ownership of the adaptation instead of closely overseeing every creative decision.
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“I just spoke about it and he was like, ‘Okay, go with God,'” Murphy recalled. “Do your thing.” That creative freedom also opened the door to a larger conversation about the future of the show. The producer shared that Ellis believed the novel contained enough material to support multiple installments, telling him, “I think that this story could be multiple seasons.”
Building on that idea, Murphy explained that they envisioned a story unfolding over several years of television. “We had always talked, even in the beginning, briefly, that, in success, this is a three- or four-year series where it takes place over the course of one school year,” he said.
Based on Ellis’ 2023 novel, “The Shards” follows a fictionalized teenage version of the author during his senior year at an elite Los Angeles prep school in 1981. As a mysterious new student joins his circle of friends, Bret becomes convinced the newcomer is connected to a serial killer terrorizing the city.
The adaptation stars Igby Rigney, Kaia Gerber, Homer Gere, Hayes Warner, Graham Campbell, Evan Rachel Wood, and Wes Bentley. With the title only beginning its run, whether Murphy’s multi-season vision becomes reality will ultimately depend on how audiences respond.
