It’s back to the mental ward for Ryan Murphy and Sarah Paulson. The creator and star of “American Horror Story: Asylum” will collaborate once again on “Ratched,” a Netflix series about the origins of the infamous “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” character Nurse Ratched.

The series is getting a two-season, 18-episode commitment from Netflix after a heavy bidding war, according to Deadline. Ms. Paulson will play the title character, tracing her evolution from a low-level nurse into the severe, manipulative tyrant who terrorizes mental institution patients in Ken Kesey’s 1962 novel. Louise Fletcher won an Oscar for her portrayal of Nurse Ratched in the 1975 film adaptation.

Evan Romansky created and wrote the script for the prequel series; this is his first professional project. Mr. Murphy will executive produce and direct the first episode. The latest season of his anthology series “American Horror Story,” subtitled “Cult,” premiered on Tuesday, with Ms. Paulson in a lead role. She has appeared in each of the show’s seven seasons, receiving four Emmy nominations for her work.

The series represents another major talent grab for Netflix, which just signed deals with Shonda Rhimes, Ava DuVernay and Damien Chazelle. Production of “Ratched” is slated to begin in 2018.