Netflix has set October 3, 2025, as the premiere date for Monster: The Ed Gein Story, the third installment in Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s true-crime anthology.
Following Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story and Monster: The Menendez Murders, the new season revisits one of America’s most infamous figures, whose crimes in rural Wisconsin reshaped both criminal history and horror culture.
About Monster: The Ed Gein Story
The new season returns to Plainfield, Wisconsin in the 1950s, where Ed Gein lived as a quiet recluse on a decaying farm. What police uncovered inside his home shocked the world: desecrated graves, human remains fashioned into household objects, and a disturbing fixation on his mother.
Gein’s crimes didn’t just terrify his community. They gave rise to a cultural archetype, the inspiration for Norman Bates in Psycho, Leatherface in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs. By situating Gein at the center of both crime history and horror mythology, this season examines how one man’s acts became the blueprint for modern horror.
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Creators and Creative Team
The anthology once again comes from Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, who serve as creators and executive producers. Brennan also writes the season in its entirety, maintaining narrative cohesion across all eight episodes.
Directorial duties are shared:
- Max Winkler helms episodes 301–303 and 306–308.
- Ian Brennan directs episodes 304 and 305.
The producing team includes Murphy, Brennan, Winkler, Eric Kovtun, Scott Robertson, Nissa Diederich, Louise Shore, Carl Franklin, and Charlie Hunnam, who also stars.
Cast
The ensemble draws from both acclaimed veterans and newer voices:
- Charlie Hunnam leads as Ed Gein, offering a portrait that goes beyond the lurid headlines.
- Tom Hollander, Laurie Metcalf, and Suzanna Son anchor key supporting roles.
- Additional cast includes Vicky Krieps, Olivia Williams, Lesley Manville, Joey Pollari, Addison Rae, Charlie Hall, Tyler Jacob Moore, Mimi Kennedy, Will Brill, and Robin Weigert.
Hunnam has described the portrayal as a “human, unflinching” look at who Gein was beyond the crimes that defined him.what he did.”
Themes and Approach
Murphy and Brennan frame each season of Monster with the same question: are monsters born, or are they made? The Ed Gein Story leans into that inquiry, exploring not just Gein’s actions but the social, psychological, and cultural conditions that allowed his crimes to unfold.
The series positions Gein as both a singular criminal and a mirror to American fascination with deviance. By highlighting the cultural myths he inspired, the show underscores how true crime and horror became intertwined in the public imagination.
Looking Ahead
Arriving just ahead of Halloween, Monster: The Ed Gein Story is set to be the anthology’s most unsettling chapter yet. With its combination of real history, cultural reflection, and an actor-driven cast, the season examines not only Gein’s house of horrors but the enduring shadow it cast over both true crime and American entertainment.
Key Details
Monster: The Ed Gein Story premieres on Netflix October 3, 2025. The season spans eight episodes written by Ian Brennan and directed by Brennan and Max Winkler. The cast is led by Charlie Hunnam, Tom Hollander, Laurie Metcalf, and Suzanna Son, with additional performances by Vicky Krieps, Olivia Williams, Lesley Manville, Joey Pollari, Addison Rae, Charlie Hall, Tyler Jacob Moore, Mimi Kennedy, Will Brill, and Robin Weigert. The series is created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, produced by Lionsgate Television.
The Posters
