Add Ryan Murphy to the list of Hollywood power players advocating for more production in Los Angeles. The executive producer and showrunner behind such hits as “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” “American Horror Story” and “9-1-1” has scheduled a meeting with California Gov. Gavin Newsom to help remedy this production problem.
“My company makes a lot of shows. We employ thousands and thousands of people, and I love that. For the most part, we’re trying to get people back to work in California post-strikes,” Murphy told TheWrap as part of a recent interview about his stellar run of series in 2024. “L.A. does not have enough film production. It’s not acceptable.”
The mega-producer confirmed he has set a meeting with Newsom, whom he called “very cool” and “a friend of mine.” “[I’m] going to really try and do everything that I can, because I think film and television production in the state of California is a great resource, not just for Los Angeles, but for the entire state,” Murphy said.
It’s no secret that production has contracted in Hollywood following the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. On Wednesday, FilmLA reported that production in the Greater Los Angeles area fell 5% in the third quarter of 2024 — the weakest quarter of the year so far and a decrease from its five-year average. This blow was especially brutal as many hoped the industry would see a gain in the third quarter.
This push from Murphy is especially notable considering the sheer amount of series, specials and movies that come from Ryan Murphy Productions. In 2024 alone, Murphy has released nine different series across five networks, eight of which hit No. 1 on their respective platforms. It’s an achievement that Murphy is incredibly proud of and thrilled by, but it’s also a position in the industry that’s left him a bit stunned.
“Did I ever think when I sold my first script I would be in a position where I could call the governor of California and say, ‘Let’s have a meeting about this?’ No,” Murphy admitted.
But now that he’s in that position, he’s dedicated to helping the industry he loves. That means doing whatever he can to return production to California and fostering the next generation of talent. Murphy recalled that when Steven Spielberg bought his first-ever script, “Why Can’t I Be Audrey Hepburn?,” the legendary filmmaker was supportive. Though the movie was never made, the experience stuck with Murphy.
“All I wanted to do was learn, and Steven was so kind about that with me. We talked about story and we talked about scripts,” Murphy said, recalling the experience of his 31-year-old self. “It’s interesting, almost 30 years after that moment, to be like, ‘OK, I’m trying to uplift others and give people jobs.’”
“What I’m trying to do now is I’m trying to say to younger people, ‘Come out into the tent.’ And I’m still trying to keep myself interested in things that I’m passionate about,” he added.
The super-producer further noted that most of the projects he’s currently working on are being run by people who are “20 years younger than me,” pointing to Max Winkler, Alexis Martin Woodall and Matt Hodgson. “It’s kind of cool to work that way,” Murphy concluded.
Leave a Reply