Ashton Kutcher’s new Disney Plus series touts itself as the show about the one shot that makes you hot.
This latest venture from uber-producer Ryan Murphy, The Beauty, sees Kutcher market the sought-after new superdrug that ‘makes you effortlessly beautiful’.
Does that sound familiar? It might if you’ve seen the 2024 Demi Moore film The Substance, which had a strikingly similar premise, despite the fact that this show is based on Jeremy Haun and Jason A Hurley’s comic book series.
In that body horror hit Kutcher’s ex-wife Moore plays a fading actress who reaches for a mysterious Brat-green serum to transform her into the picture of youth, also known as Margaret Qualley. Of course, there are side effects.
Meanwhile, The Beauty takes place in the world of high fashion, formidable wealth and frightening beauty standards.
Pulling all the strings is Kutcher’s tech billionaire, who has secretly engineered that miracle primping drug that’s taking the world, and his bank balance, by storm.
Of course, there are side effects. The world’s supermodels are suddenly dying off at quite an alarming rate and in particularly grim Final Destination-style ways.
Enter Evan Peters – no stranger to the Ryan Murphyverse – and Rebecca Hall as FBI agents tasked with cracking the gruesome case. It turns out the jab is some sort of sexually transmitted disease (!) and it takes them straight to the door of Kutcher’s billionaire.
The trailer for The Beauty dropped this week and immediately prompted The Substance comparisons from eagle-eyed viewers.
‘The Substance with Demi Moore, and now her ex in a similar story…,’ wrote Andrea in the Instagram comments to the official trailer.
Others simply commented with GIFs of Moore in the film, while Nicole quipped: ‘It’s pretty diabolical that Demi Moore’s ex is in a rip off of her Oscar worthy movie lol.’ Alex had a similar take: ‘So, a rip off of The Substance.’
The guest star list is quite something. Take a deep breath because there’s Amelia Gray Hamlin, Bella Hadid, Ben Platt, Billy Eichner, Isabella Rossellini, Lux Pascal, Meghan Trainor, Nicola Peltz Beckham and Peter Gallagher. Plus many more.
There aren’t just guest stars galore, there are locations aplenty. We’re talking Paris, Venice, Rome, and New York – almost like it’s a fashion-forward show.
The first three episodes of The Beauty will premiere on Thursday, January 22 on Disney Plus.
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