Travis Kelece is joining Grotesquerie, the upcoming horror series from Ryan Murphy, in what is a major role for the NFL star. Kelce, a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, joins a cast that includes Niecy Nash-Betts, Courtney B. Vance, and Lesley Manville.
Details about Grotesquerie are scarce, according to Deadline. However, a previous teaser paints the upcoming FX series as a dark horror saga that’s similar to Murphy’s work on the long-running anthology American Horror Story. Grotesquerie is scheduled to premiere in the fall, which lines up with the start of the next NFL season.
It’s a major acting project for Kelce, who has garnered headlines due to his high-profile relationship with Taylor Swift. Kelce and the Kanas City Chiefs are also coming off their third Super Bowl win in five years. Since then, Kelce’s been reportedly set as the host of an Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader for Prime Video. He also hosted Saturday Night Live in March 2023.
Murphy is no stranger to bringing in celebrities that are in the news for his projects, as Adam Levine, Lady Gaga, and Kim Kardashian have all appeared on American Horror Story at varying points in the anthology’s history.
Ryan Murphy’s upcoming projects
Along with the established American Horror Story franchise and its spinoff American Horror Stories, Murphy established the Monster anthology and The Watcher thriller series during his time at Netflix. Since his return to 20th Television, under the Disney umbrella, he’s created the Dr. Odyssey medical drama for ABC. He’s also behind an upcoming Kim Kardashian legal drama for Hulu.
The first season of American Sports Story is likewise on track to debut. It’s centered on the rise and fall of former NFL player Aaron Hernandez, with Josh Andrés Rivera, Patrick Schwarzenegger, and Lindsay Mendez in the lead roles. An exact premiere date has not been set.
As for Monster Season 2 at Netflix, it will be focused on the case of the Menéndez brothers who were convinced in 1996 of murdering their parents. Set to debut later in 2024, the cast includes Nicholas Chavez and Cooper Koch in the lead roles, along with Javier Bardem, Chloë Sevigny, and Nathan Lane.