Devil in Disguise: Michael Chernus to play notorious serial killer John Wayne Gacy in Peacock series

We’ve got yet another serial killer drama on the way as Michael Chernus (Severance) is set to play John Wayne Gacy in a limited drama series for Peacock.

Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy will chronicle “the harrowing crimes of one of America’s most notorious serial killers and the investigation that ultimately brought him down.” Over the course of six years, Gacy kidnapped and murdered 33 young men, burying many of them in the crawl space beneath his home. On the outside, Gacy didn’t seem to fit the mould of a twisted killer; he was active in his community, hosted annual summer parties, and even volunteered to entertain sick children dressed as a clown.

“I’m both excited and humbled by this opportunity,” Chernus said in a statement. “The direction that the writers are taking with this project is important, focusing on the victims and their families as well as those who finally brought John Wayne Gacy to justice.”

Chernus continued: “While Gacy was the perpetrator of these horrific crimes, I’m relieved that he won’t be the main focus of the series. It’s heartbreaking for me to think of what his victims (all young men and boys) could have done with their lives had the system not failed them so tragically. I believe in the power of storytelling and hope that by telling this story, in a thoughtful way, we can play some part in preventing this from ever happening again.“

Patrick Macmanus, known for Dr. Death and The Girl From Plainville, will serve as writer, executive producer, and showrunner on the series. Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy “peels back the twisted layers of John Wayne Gacy’s life while weaving in the heartrending stories of his mostly gay victims; exploring the grief, guilt, and trauma of their families and friends; and exposing the systemic failures, missed opportunities and societal prejudices that fueled his reign of terror.“

Michael Chernus will next be seen in the second season of Severance on Apple TV+. The psychological thriller series finally wrapped shooting in April after being forced to halt due to the WGA and SAG strikes. The second season doesn’t have an official release date at this time.