FX has unveiled the first trailer for Ryan Murphy‘s upcoming Grotesquerie. The eerie trailer, which combines religious imagery with crime scene clips, includes a brief glimpse of Travis Kelce, who is making his acting debut in the 10-episode series. Niecy Nash-Betts, who collaborated with Murphy on the award-winning Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, will lead Grotesquerie as Detective Lois Tryon, who is trying to uncover the unnerving mystery behind a series of crimes. Nash is heard in the trailer, as is a mysterious voice that teases: “This killer is sermonizing, proselytizing, preaching. To understand this monster we have to decipher these murders.”
Check out the teaser trailer below.
Alongside Nash-Betts and Kelce (whose role has been undisclosed), Grotesquerie features Courtney B. Vance, Lesley Manville, Micaela Diamond, Nicholas Alexander Chavez, and Raven Goodwin. Grotesquerie is created by Murphy, Jon Robin Baetz (Feud: Capote vs. The Swans), and Joe Baken (American Horror Stories). The three also executive produce alongside Alexis Martin Woodall, Max Winkler, Nash-Betts, Vance, Peter Liguori, Nissa Diederich, Eric Kovtun, and Scott Robertson. Directors include Murphy, Winkler, Martin Woodall, and Elegance Bratton.
The official synopsis for Grotesquerie reads:
“A series of heinous crimes have unsettled a small community. Detective Lois Tryon (Nash-Betts) feels these crimes are eerily personal, as if someone—or something—is taunting her. At home, Lois grapples with a strained relationship with her daughter, a husband in long-term hospital care and her own inner demons. With no leads and unsure of where to turn, she accepts the help of Sister Megan (Diamond), a nun and journalist with the Catholic Guardian. Sister Megan, with her own difficult past, has seen the worst of humanity, yet she still believes in its capacity for good. Lois, on the other hand, fears the world is succumbing to evil. As Lois and Sister Megan string together clues, they find themselves ensnared in a sinister web that only seems to raise more questions than answers.”
With Grotesquerie, Nash-Betts joins Murphy’s list of multi-project collaborators. Her last effort with Murphy, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, earned Nash-Betts an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. She will also work with Murphy on the upcoming legal procedural All’s Fair, where she’ll star alongside Kim Kardashian, Glenn Close, Sarah Paulson, Teyana Taylor, and Naomi Watts. She will also serve as an executive producer on that project.
Related
Ryan Murphy’s American Sports Story Finds Its Aaron Hernandez in Hunger Games Star
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes star Josh Andrés Rivera wil play Aaron Hernandez in American Sports Story.
What We Can Expect From Travis Kelce’s Acting Debut
Kelce, whose star power has expanded since the beginning of his relationship with global superstar Taylor Swift, is set to make his acting debut in Grotesquerie (although we’re sure it won’t be his last role). No details surrounding his character have been revealed, so the prominence of his role in the series remains to be seen. As seen on American Horror Story: Delicate, and given Kardashian’s (surprisingly) warm reception on scripted television, Murphy seems to have a knack for working with non-actors, and creating characters they can believably portray. That gives us a little optimism about Kelce’s venture into acting.
During an episode of New Heights, the podcast Kelce shares with his brother, Jason, the Kansas City Chiefs tight-end discussed working on the series, sharing that “there’s nothing” that Murphy can’t do before adding:
“… Everybody’s just been so helpful in making me feel comfortable and … giving me kinda the direction I need and the coaching I need to portray this part that I’m in.”
Speaking of football, FX also recently revealed the trailer for Murphy’s American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez, which follows the story of Aaron Hernandez, the former New England Patriots player and convicted murderer. Josh Rivera will star as Hernandez, who died by suicide in 2017 during his imprisonment. The 10-episode series premieres on September 17 on FX and will stream the following day on Hulu.
Grotesquerie and American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez expand Murphy’s Fall lineup count to five, as they join 9-1-1, 9-1-1: Lonestar, and Doctor Odyssey.
Grotesquerie
premieres on FX on September 25 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, and will be available to stream on Hulu the next day. The horror series will later land on Disney+ for international audiences.