Ryan Murphy’s Nurse Ratched Origin Story Lands at Netflix
I think all of us who have seen Louise Fletcher’s incredible, Oscar-winning performance as Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest have been scarred for life. And now, thanks to Netflix, a whole new generation is about to get the same treatment…
Per Deadline, the streaming service has landed “Ratched,” a new drama series from Ryan Murphy that will star Sarah Paulson (“American Horror Story”) as a younger version of the diabolical nurse. And one of the original film’s producers, Michael Douglas, is set to executive produce alongside Murphy.
“Ratched” has already received a two-season, 18-episode order at Netflix with production by Fox 21 TV Studios slated to begin in mid-2018. As is his custom with all the series he’s involved with, Murphy will direct the opening episode.
The project was created by Evan Romansky who, fresh out of film school, penned the script on spec; and it took Murphy about a year to secure the rights to the character as well as the participation of Douglas and the Saul Zaentz estate (Zaentz was a producer on the original film, and the Saul Zaentz Company owns the rights to the Cuckoo’s Nest feature).
Murphy and Douglas are exec producing along with Aleen Keshishian, Margaret Riley, and Jacob Bernstein of Lighthouse Management Media, which manages Romansky. They are joined by Romansky, who will co-executive produce. Paulson will be a producer alongside Paul Zaentz of the Saul Zaentz Company.
“Ratched” will be an origin story, beginning in 1947, that follows Nurse Ratched’s (Paulson) journey and evolution from nurse to full-fledged monster. It will track her murderous progression through the mental health care system.
Stay tuned for more as it comes, and in the meantime here’s a look back at some of the notorious nurse’s dastardly deeds.
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