In a world where people are voluntarily or involuntarily confined to their homes, Netflix rules supreme. And, no matter how long the coronavirus lockdown lasts, the streaming platform has vowed to keep us entertained with plenty of unmissable TV and film content.

Take Ryan Murphy’s Hollywood, for instance. As revealed by IndieWire, the man who brought us such gems as Pose, The Politician, OJ Simpson vs The People and American Horror Story is at it again – and, this time, he’s delivering a star-studded Netflix series about old Hollywood.

Here’s everything we know about the show so far.

Is there a trailer for Netflix’s Hollywood?

At last, finally, we have a trailer. And the clip, which dropped on 21 April, has certainly gotten people talking on social media.

“Omg I love Ryan Murphy he’s a pure genius,” wrote one.

Another commented: “All Ryan Murphy does is make one great show after another.”

Others have dubbed it “explosive”, “provocative” and “outstandingly brilliant”. And it’s easy to see why.

After all, it is laying down the laws of actual Hollywood (aka ‘Dreamland’) and bending them to its will. Indeed, as Hattie McDaniel (Queen Latifah) says in the trailer, it’s not about whether you win or lose “but whether you’re in the room”.

Are you ready for some overt social commentary?

Check it out:

Who is producing Netflix’s Hollywood?

In a move that promises utter watchability, Murphy is re-teaming with producer Ian Brennan (Glee, The Politician) and Janet Mock (Pose) for Hollywood.

What’s the plot of Netflix’s Hollywood?

The official description on Netflix keeps it short and sweet: “In post-World War II Hollywood, an ambitious group of aspiring actors and filmmakers will do almost anything to make their showbiz dreams come true.”

So, yeah, it’s a show all about the Golden Age of Hollywood. And, as IndieWire adds, each of the show’s characters will offer viewers “a unique glimpse behind the gilded curtain of Tinseltown, spotlighting the unfair systems and biases across race, gender and sexuality that continue to this day.”

With that in mind, then, why is everyone so excited? After all, we’ve explored this era of film before in the likes of Feud, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and La La Land… what’s Hollywood going to do differently?

A LOT, as it turns out.  

In a statement, Mock confirmed that the show won’t just take us back to 1940s Hollywood. It’s going to do some rewriting of wrongs, and ramping up of visibility, too.

“With the present so fraught and the future uncertain, we turned to the past for direction, uncovering buried history to spin an aspirational tale of what ifs,” she explained.

“What if a band of outsiders were given a chance to tell their own story? What if the person with greenlight power was a woman? The screenwriter a black man? What if the heroine was a woman of color? The matinee idol openly gay? And what if they were all invited into the room where the decisions are made, entering fully and unapologetically themselves to leave victorious and vaunted, their place in history cemented?”

Mock added: “Hollywood is a love letter to our little industry town where dreamers dwell, stars are born, and magic transcends reality.”

Who stars in Netflix’s Hollywood?

An easier question might be: who doesn’t star in Netflix’s Hollywood? Because, as is so often the case when Murphy helms a project, he’s cast his net far and wide to ensure a glittering all-star cast.

For starters, we have Ready Or Not’s Samara Weaving as Claire, an actress with secret connections. Holland Taylor, meanwhile, plays studio exec Ellen Kincaid, Laura Harrier wannabe actress Camille, and Patti LuPone socialite Avis. 

Elsewhere, we have the critically-acclaimed Darren Criss, who stars as up-and-coming director Raymond. There’s aspiring actor Jack, played by David Corenswet, Jeremy Pope as screenwriter Archie, Jim Parsons as agent Henry Willson, and Dylan McDermott as Ernie, a Hollywood connector.

On top of that, we also have Joe Mantello, Jake Picking, Mira Sorvino, Rob Reiner, and Maude Apatow, not to mention countless other surprise appearances from guest stars. 

How many episodes of Netflix’s Hollywood will there be?

Don’t worry, this isn’t a show that’s going to demand major time commitment: it’s a limited-series, so there will only be seven episodes to binge-watch.

When will Hollywood be available to stream on Netflix?

We don’t have long to wait: Murphy’s new TV project will land on 1 May 2020, so be sure to mark that date in your calendars, stat!

Images: Netflix