Peacock Developing Limited Series Based on the Killings of John Wayne Gacy

Michael Chernus will star as the real-life serial killer.

By Patrick Cavanaugh

John Wayne Gacy is one of the most notorious serial killers in American history, not only because he murdered dozens of men throughout the '70s, but also because one of his weekend gigs was to dress as "Pogo the Clown" to entertain children in his community. Peacock announced that Gacy's crimes will be adapted into the upcoming limited series Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy, with Severance and Dead Ringers star Michael Chernus tapped to play the killer. Peacock's docuseries John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise serves as the inspiration for the new dramatization, which doesn't yet have a release date.

Peacock describes the new series, "From 1972-1978, 33 young men were kidnapped, murdered, and buried in a crawl space beneath their killer's house. And no one was the wiser. Not for all those years. Why? He was charming and funny. Had a good, All-American job. Was a community leader. He even volunteered to entertain sick kids... while dressed as a clown. Devil In Disguise: John Wayne Gacy peels back the twisted layers of Gacy's life while weaving in 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."

"I'm both excited and humbled by this opportunity. 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 shared in a statement. "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." 

Littleton Road Production's Patrick Macmanus (Dr. Death, The Girl From Plainville) serves as showrunner, writer, and executive producer alongside executive producer Kelly Funke for Littleton Road Productions, Noah Oppenheim (The Maze Runner, Jackie) and Liz Cole (John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise, The Thing About Pam) for NBC News Studios, Ashley Michel Hoban (Dr. Death, The Girl From Plainville), and Ahmadu Garba (Dr. Death, Halo).

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Stay tuned for updates on Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy.

Are you looking forward to the series? Contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror! 

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