Streaming service Peacock has set 16 October 2025 for the global release of “Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy,” an eight-episode scripted drama that revisits the Illinois serial-murder case while shifting the perspective toward victims and their families. The series, created by writer-producer Patrick Macmanus and inspired by NBC News’ 2022 docuseries of the same name, stars “Severance” actor Michael Chernus in his first leading television role. Macmanus said he initially rejected the project twice but agreed after securing creative latitude to minimize on-screen violence and centre each episode on the lives of individual victims rather than on Gacy himself. To address concerns of exploitation, the production team reviewed unaired archival material, tracked down relatives of the 33 known victims and incorporated feedback from every family that responded. Chernus avoided method acting on set, citing the mental health of the cast and crew, and emphasised that the drama would depict no murders on screen. All eight episodes will drop simultaneously, underscoring Peacock’s continued bet on true-crime-adjacent originals while attempting to answer criticism that recent serial-killer series, including Netflix’s “Monster,” have glorified perpetrators at the expense of victims.