NEW YORK — FX has unveiled the first trailer for Ryan Murphy's latest venture into campy sci-fi body horror, the series The Beauty, which stars Ashton Kutcher as a tech billionaire aggressively marketing a sexually transmitted drug that promises physical perfection but spirals into deadly chaos. The trailer, released on Monday, January 5, introduces Kutcher's character, known as The Corporation, lounging on his personal yacht while boasting about the "beauty shot." "I’m the world’s greatest advertisement for the hottest new super drug that makes you effortlessly beautiful," Kutcher's character declares in the clip, describing the substance as achievable through "one simple injection."
The series, set to premiere on FX and Hulu on Wednesday, January 21, at 9 p.m. ET, draws from the Image Comics series of the same name by Jeremy Haun and Jason A. Hurley. According to the official synopsis, the story unfolds in the high-fashion world where international supermodels begin dying in gruesome and mysterious ways. FBI Agents Cooper Madsen, played by Evan Peters, and Jordan Bennett, portrayed by Rebecca Hall, are dispatched to Paris to investigate. As they probe deeper, they discover a sexually transmitted virus that transforms ordinary people into visions of physical perfection, but at terrifying costs.
The trailer's narrative quickly escalates, showing the drug's dark side. Beautiful individuals, including a character played by model Bella Hadid, undergo alarming transformations after receiving the injection. Anthony Ramos appears as The Assassin, a role seemingly inspired by the iconic figures in The Matrix. "This is the closest to the fountain of youth that anyone will ever get, which of course comes with problems," Ramos's character explains about the drug in the preview.
Kutcher's The Corporation emerges as a polarizing figure, deeply disliked by those around him. In one tense exchange aboard the yacht, Isabella Rossellini's character, Franny Forst, confronts him sharply. "Every night, I pray for your death," she tells him, prompting the billionaire to casually request some "yacht rock" music to lighten the mood. As the plot thickens, authorities like Peters and Hall's characters arrive amid the crisis, noting that the drug "has gone from international virus to murder." They are determined to "find a cure," while The Corporation remains fixated on bringing his invention to market.
The trailer hints at the drug's mutation, with Cooper and Jordan observing, "The beauty has been mutating out in the wild." Kutcher's character, undeterred, praises the substance as "an STD that people will actually want." His demeanor grows increasingly unhinged as the chaos unfolds; in a separate scene, he screams, "Do not kill my vibe," underscoring the blend of horror and satire in Murphy's signature style.
Beyond the core cast, the series boasts star-studded cameos, including Meghan Trainor, Ben Platt, Amelia Gray Hamlin, Billy Eichner, and Nicola Peltz Beckham. The story follows not only the agents' investigation but also Jeremy, played by Jeremy Pope, a desperate outsider entangled in the epidemic's chaos. The agents race across Paris, Venice, Rome, and New York to halt a threat that could reshape humanity, posing the central question: "What would you sacrifice for perfection?"
For Kutcher, 47, The Beauty marks his first substantial television role in five years. He previously headlined Netflix's The Ranch from 2016 to 2020, after which he largely stepped away from the small screen. Kutcher made a cameo as himself on The Bachelorette in 2017 and appeared in The Boys in 2022. He also reprised his role as Michael Kelso for one episode of That '90s Show, the sequel to That '70s Show.
The project reunites Murphy, 60, with Evan Peters, 38, who first gained prominence in the inaugural season of Murphy's American Horror Story. Peters appeared in eight additional seasons of the anthology series and starred in the first season of Murphy's FX drama Pose. His portrayal of Jeffrey Dahmer in the 2022 Netflix miniseries Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story earned him a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy nomination.
Following the intense role in Dahmer, Peters expressed a desire to shift away from darker material. In a December 2022 interview with Variety, he said, “I’m going to take a little break from darker roles and explore the light. It would be interesting to me to play something that is a little closer to home, a little more mundane and to explore the details of those kinds of experiences.” One month earlier, during a panel discussion, Peters reflected on the challenges of embodying the serial killer. “Doing the role, I wanted to give it 120 percent the whole way through, so I brought in a lot of darkness and negativity,” he explained. “It was just having that end goal in sight, knowing when we were going to wrap and finally being able to breathe and let it go and say, ‘OK, now it’s time to bring in the joy and the lightness and watch comedies and romances and go back to St. Louis and see my family and friends and watch Step Brothers.’”
Despite Peters' comments on seeking lighter fare, The Beauty delves back into body horror territory, a hallmark of Murphy's oeuvre. The series arrives amid a busy slate for FX, following the network's winter TV preview for 2026, which highlights must-watch new and returning shows. It also comes as Hollywood navigates renewals for the 2026-2027 season, with several high-profile series securing additional episodes.
The concept of The Beauty taps into broader cultural obsessions with beauty standards and the perils of unchecked technological ambition. The comic book source material, originally published by Image Comics, has garnered attention for its timely critique of the fashion industry and biotech ethics. Haun and Hurley’s story, first released in 2016, explores how the pursuit of perfection can lead to societal downfall, a theme amplified in Murphy's adaptation through its global scope and ensemble cast.
Production on the series wrapped in late 2025, with filming spanning multiple international locations to capture the jet-setting intrigue. Sources close to the production, speaking to Us Weekly, described the set as a high-energy environment, blending Murphy's penchant for over-the-top drama with practical effects for the virus's grotesque effects. The trailer's release has already sparked online buzz, with fans praising the satirical edge and Kutcher's villainous turn.
As the premiere approaches, anticipation builds for how The Beauty will fit into Murphy's expansive portfolio, which includes hits like Glee, Feud, and the American Horror Story franchise. The series' blend of thriller elements and social commentary positions it as a potential awards contender, especially with Peters' return to form. Network executives at FX have touted it as a "global thriller" that could redefine the body horror genre for streaming audiences.
Looking ahead, The Beauty premieres at a time when viewers are eager for fresh content post-holidays. Its availability on both FX and Hulu ensures wide accessibility, potentially drawing in diverse demographics from fashion enthusiasts to sci-fi fans. While the trailer's glimpses of horror suggest intense viewing, the underlying question of sacrifice for beauty resonates in an era dominated by social media filters and cosmetic enhancements.
In the end, as The Corporation's empire teeters on the brink, the series promises to challenge perceptions of desirability and the human cost of innovation. With its January 21 debut, The Beauty is poised to captivate, much like Murphy's previous endeavors, leaving audiences to ponder the fine line between allure and annihilation.