Originally published December 29, 2017. Updated May 6, 2018.
A new Ryan Murphy-produced series is coming to FX as the network has ordered an eight episode first season for Pose, a dance musical drama co-created and written by Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Steven Canals.
Set in the 1980s, Pose looks at the juxtaposition of several segments of life and society in New York: the rise of the luxury Trump-era universe, the downtown social and literary scene and the ball culture world.
Pose will star Evan Peters (American Horror Story) and Kate Mara (House of Cards) as New Jersey couple Stan and Patty who get sucked into the glamour of New York City in the 1980s while James Van Der Beek (Dawson’s Creek) also stars as Peter’s financial boss Matt. Murphy is set to direct the first two episodes of the series.
Joining the three is the largest transgender cast to star in a scripted television show. Murphy and his casting director Alexa Fogel spent six months in auditions for its transgender cast members. The transgender actors to star in Pose include MJ Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson, Indya Moore, Hailie Sahar and Angelica Ross. Also co-starring are Tony Award winner Billy Porter as well as newcomers Ryan Jamaal Swain and Dyllon Burnside.
“I am thrilled to join forces with John Landgraf and FX Networks and FXP and Dana Walden, Gary Newman and Fox 21 Television Studios to present what I think is a game changer of a show, which at its heart is an uplifting series about the universal quest for identity, family and respect,” Ryan Murphy said. “Along with being a dance musical and an affirming look at American life in the 1980s, I’m so proud that Pose and FX has made history right from the beginning by featuring the most trans series regular actors ever in an American television production. Additionally, the first season Pose will feature 50-plus LGBTQ characters – a record in American television history. I can’t wait for people to see this incredibly talented, passionate cast.”
“In the 15 years we’ve worked with Ryan, he has demonstrated time and again that every person’s story is joyful, illuminating, and must to be told,” said John Landgraf, CEO of FX Networks and FX Productions. “With Pose, Ryan, and his producing partners Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Brad Falchuk and Steven Canals, introduce us to a new group of characters whose talent, life force, and self-made community is greater than the daunting obstacles created by a society that can be threatened by their native identities.”
“A decade ago, Ryan brought us the groundbreaking pilot script for Glee, a show that celebrated underdogs, proudly showcased a completely diverse cast of unknown actors and led the way for new norms of inclusion and diversity on television,” commented FTG Chairman and CEOs Dana Walden and Gary Newman. “In Pose, Ryan has again, with his gifted collaborators, placed a spotlight on people who have been marginalized in society, bringing together emotional stories and a hugely talented cast in an inspirational series.”
Pose will begin production in February with a summer premiere.
