Director's Pandemic Pivot: From Indie Films to Ryan Murphy

Max Winkler, an indie film director whose 2019 boxing drama 'Jungleland' faced a difficult theatrical release amid the COVID-19 pandemic, has since found a new creative home in television. Following the financial and professional challenges of his film's debut, Winkler adopted a more pragmatic approach to his career, prioritizing financial stability and craft. This led him to direct episodes for Ryan Murphy's "American Horror Stories" and "American Horror Story" in 2021.

Winkler has since become a key collaborator within Ryan Murphy's expansive television universe, directing and executive producing many of his projects. He admires Murphy's ability to tap into populist ideas and align artistic vision with broad audience appeal. This partnership allows Winkler to apply his directorial specificity and craftsmanship to larger-scale productions, a contrast to his earlier indie film ambitions.

His collaborations with Murphy, including work on the "Monster" franchise and "Feud: Capote vs. The Swans," are characterized by mutual respect and a shared drive to impress. Winkler has expressed particular excitement for projects like "Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story," drawn to their unique rhythms, humor, and compelling characters.

This transition has provided Winkler with a fulfilling new phase in his career, allowing him to create work that reaches a wider audience and engage with the art more directly. He acknowledges the desire for his hard work to be seen, contrasting his current experiences with the isolation he sometimes felt as an indie filmmaker.