Peacock Prepares Eight-Episode John Wayne Gacy Series October Premiere

Peacock is set to premiere an eight-episode crime drama, Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy, on October 16, 2025, starring Michael Chernus as the notorious serial killer. The series, created and showrun by Patrick Macmanus, explores the chilling duality of Gacy's life as a respected community figure and his hidden crimes, where he abducted, tortured, and murdered at least 33 young men and boys in the 1970s. The show aims to center the victims’ stories and the trauma experienced by their families while examining systemic failures and societal prejudices that enabled Gacy's reign of terror. Chernus initially hesitated to portray Gacy, concerned about graphic violence and victim representation, but was reassured that the series would focus on empathetic storytelling rather than gratuitous violence. Alongside Chernus, the cast includes Gabriel Luna and James Badge Dale as investigators, Marin Ireland as a grieving mother, Michael Angarano as a lawyer, and Chris Sullivan as the chief trial prosecutor. The teaser trailer highlights the sinister contrast between Gacy's community persona, including his role as a clown entertainer for children, and the horror beneath his suburban Chicago home where many victims were buried.