Global supermodel Bella Hadid is making her first major foray into television acting with the science fiction thriller series The Beauty, streaming on Disney+, FX, and Hulu, marking a significant career pivot away from the fashion runways.
The series comes from acclaimed producer Ryan Murphy, creator of American Horror Story and Monster, in collaboration with Matthew Hodgson, blending science fiction, body horror, and thriller elements in a story adapted from a comic book of the same name.
A story blending fashion and horror
The series is set in the world of high fashion, where top models begin dying under mysterious and horrifying circumstances. FBI agents Cooper Madsen (Evan Peters) and Jordan Bennett (Rebecca Hall) are sent to Paris to investigate these deaths, only to discover a sexually transmitted virus that transforms ordinary people into idealised versions of physical perfection—but with terrifying consequences that ultimately lead to death.
Murphy described the series as “a medical sci-fi show about a new virus that mutates and is sexually transmitted, turning you into your absolute perfect version”. He added: “The question is, how far would you go to be beautiful? What would you sacrifice for that, and does it matter?”.
In press statements, Murphy said the series represents a commentary on “Ozempic culture” and society’s obsession with rapid physical transformation aided by medication. He noted that development of the series coincided with the emergence of Ozempic and increasing discussion about celebrity plastic surgeons and speculation about which celebrities had undergone cosmetic procedures.
Bella Hadid’s role in the series
Hadid portrays ‘Ruby’ in the series, an international supermodel suffering from the effects of the deadly virus. The series opens with a dramatic scene during Paris Fashion Week, where Ruby is shown staggering down the runway in a state of confusion and perspiration, desperate to escape her tight red leather Balenciaga outfit. In a daze, she grabs a water bottle from an audience member and flees the venue, speeding through Paris streets on a motorcycle.
Footage from trailers shows Hadid in intense scenes, including her violent collapse in a restaurant kitchen, indicating the severity of the situation. She also appears in other shots covered in blood and in intense action sequences, revealing the extent of her preparation for the role.
Star-studded cast
The series is led by Evan Peters, Murphy’s longtime collaborator and Emmy winner for his role in Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, playing FBI agent Cooper Madsen.
He’s joined by Rebecca Hall as Agent Jordan Bennett, in their first collaboration together, having filmed a love scene from the beginning of shooting without having met before.
Ashton Kutcher plays the villain, a mysterious tech billionaire known as The Corporation who secretly developed a miracle drug called The Beauty.
Kutcher said Murphy convinced him to take the role by saying: “I wrote this role for you. You’ve never played a true villain, and I think this is the villain for you”.
Anthony Ramos, star of the Broadway musical Hamilton, plays The Assassin, a lethal mercenary working to protect Kutcher’s trillion-dollar empire. Jeremy Pope portrays Jeremy, a marginalized young man who finds himself at the heart of the chaos searching for meaning in his life.
The guest cast includes notable names such as Isabella Rossellini as Franny Forest, Meghan Trainor, Nicola Peltz Beckham, Amelia Gray Hamlin, Ben Platt, Billy Eichner, Jessica Alexander, Vincent D’Onofrio, Peter Gallagher, John Carroll Lynch, and Lukas Pascal.
Massive global production
The Beauty was filmed in multiple global locations including Paris, Venice, Rome, and New York, giving it an international scope that reflects the global nature of the story. Filming began on December 2, 2024, in New York City and extended to Pearl River, New York in late January 2025.
Murphy compared the scale of the series to Game of Thrones in terms of massive production and geographical spread. The first season consists of 11 episodes, with executive producers including Murphy, Hodgson, Peters, Ramos, Pope, Eric Kovtun, Scott Robertson, Nissa Diederich, Michael Uppendahl, Alexis Martin Woodall, Eric Gitter, Peter Schwierin, and Jeremy Haun.
The score was composed by Mac Quayle, Murphy’s regular collaborator. The series is produced by 20th Television and Ryan Murphy Television.
Origins from the comic book
The series is based on a comic book of the same name written and illustrated by Jeremy Haun and co-written by Jason A. Hurley, published by Image Comics starting in 2015. The original story revolves around detectives investigating a sexually transmitted disease that makes those infected more physically beautiful, but ultimately proves fatal.
The comic won the “Pilot Season” award and received critical acclaim for its approach to addressing society’s obsession with outward appearance and the price people pay in pursuit of perfection. Critics described it as “a perfect blend of suspense, horror, and drama with a sharp critique of unrealistic beauty standards”.
Haun serves as an executive producer for the series, while Hurley participates as a consultant to ensure fidelity to the original vision.
Premiere date and distribution
The first three episodes of The Beauty premiere on January 21, 2026, on FX at 9 p.m. ET/PT and on Hulu at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT). The series streams internationally on Disney+ on January 22, 2026.
After the premiere, a new episode airs every Wednesday at 9 p.m. on FX and Hulu, with two episodes airing in each of the final two weeks. The first season is expected to conclude on March 4, 2026.
