2018–present: 9-1-1, Pose and Netflix productions
In 2018, Murphy co-created the police procedural drama 9-1-1 and also served as its director, writer and executive producer.
With newcomer Steven Canals, Murphy and Falchuk launched a new series, Pose, set in the Ball community in mid-1980s New York City. Murphy had wanted to adapt and knock off Paris Is Burning as a series and Canals had been writing a script while at graduate school centered on a young African American teen made homeless for being gay, who moved to New York with dreams of going to dance school and who became adopted by a House mother. Joining Canals, Murphy and Falchuk in the writing room were Our Lady J and Janet Mock, who Murphy also encouraged to direct an episode, making her the first trans woman of colour to do so, as well as the first trans woman of colour in a TV series writing room. The series premiered on FX on June 3, 2018, attracting critical acclaim. The first season boasted the largest cast of transgender actors ever for a scripted network series, with over 50 transgender characters all played by trans actors. On July 12, 2018, it was announced that the series had been renewed for a second season, which premiered in 2019.
In May 2018, ahead of the Pose premiere, Murphy announced that he would donate all of his profits from the series to charitable organizations working with LGBT people, tweeting different non-profits including Sylvia Rivera Law Project, Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund, and Callen-Lorde Community Health Center telling Variety that: "The thing that struck me in talking to so many of them, was how much they've struggled, how under attack they feel, how many of them find it difficult getting healthcare, and finding jobs. I just decided I need to do more than just making a show for this community. I want to reach out and help this community."
In 2018, Netflix signed Murphy for a development deal with compensation of $300 million over a period of five years. In September 2019, The Politician was released on Netflix to generally positive reviews. The series was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and renewed for a second season, which was released in mid-2020. Murphy then co-created the 9-1-1 spin-off series 9-1-1: Lone Star, which premiered on Fox in January 2020. In May 2020, Murphy's period miniseries Hollywood was released to mixed reviews. Murphy served as co-creator, writer and director for the series. In June 2020, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the first LGBTQ Pride parade, Queerty named him among the fifty heroes "leading the nation toward equality, acceptance, and dignity for all people". In 2021, Murphy wrote for and executive produced Halston, a miniseries about the designer Halston starring Ewan McGregor.
Alongside his Glee co-creator Ian Brennan, Murphy co-created the true crime anthology series Monster (2022–present) for Netflix. Initially intended to be a ten-part limited series, the first season was titled Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022) and became one of the most-watched Netflix series of all time. The second season, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, was released in September 2024, and the third season, Monster: The Ed Gein Story, was released in October 2025. All three seasons were met with commercial success but mixed reviews, with most critics criticizing the ethics of true crime media and Murphy's approach to the victims.
In May 2025, FX ordered The Shards, a horror-thriller series based on the semi-autobiographical 2023 novel of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis. The series, set in 1980s Los Angeles, follows a teenager who becomes obsessed with a serial killer terrorizing the city. Murphy executive produces via Ryan Murphy Productions, with Max Winkler attached to direct and executive produce. The cast includes Igby Rigney, Kaia Gerber, Homer Gere, Hayes Warner, Graham Campbell, and Wes Bentley. Filming began in November 2025 and wrapped in March 2026.
