Monster Season 3: Cast, Story & Everything We Know About The Original Monster

Ryan Murphy’s controversial true crime anthology series, Monster, has been renewed for a third season on Netflix, and The Original Monster is tackling the terrifying case of Ed Gein. Launching in 2022 with Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, the series highlights a notorious true crime story from American history each season, and dramatizes real-life events with Murphy’s signature over-the-top style. Season 1 was a smash-hit for Netflix, and though it garnered a fair amount of jeers for its tasteless content, a second season followed in 2024 that told the story of Erik and Lyle Menendez.

The controversies surrounding Dahmer didn’t deflate its humongous viewership numbers, and it started a dialogue about the ethics of dramatized true crime content. Ryan Murphy has rarely missed in the sphere of TV, and the ongoing success of Monster proves that his anthology approach continues to be successful many years after the debut of American Horror Story. Season 2 of Monster (called Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story) temporarily refocused the true crime series, but the confirmed third season is once again telling the story of one of the world’s most notorious serial killers.

Monster Season 3: The Latest News About The Original Monster

New Cast Members Join The Original Monster

With development happening quickly on the third season of the popular crime anthology, the latest news confirms three new cast members have joined The Original Monster. Tapped to play the important role of Gein’s mother, Augusta, Roseanne and The Conners star Laurie Metcalf has joined the Ryan Murphy series. Furthermore, Tom Hollander (Pirates of the Caribbean) has been cast as legendary director Alfred Hitchcock, who famously adapted Robert Bloch’s novel Psycho, which was loosely based on Gein’s life. Finally, Olivia Williams (The Crown) will play Hitchcock’s wife and creative partner, Alma.

Netflix shared the news via a post on X (formerly Twitter):

Monster Season 3: The Original Monster Is Confirmed

Netflix Quickly Ordered Season 3

The Monster series didn’t have to wait long to earn a third season, and Netflix renewed it for more episodes days before season 2 even debuted. Along with that news, it was also revealed that The Original Monster will tell the story of gruesome 1950s serial killer Ed Gein who, ironically, also hailed from Wisconsin (the home state of season 1’s subject, Jeffrey Dahmer). On top of that, Netflix also announced that Sons of Anarchy star Charlie Hunnam had been tapped to play Gein in season 3. Shooting is set to begin on, appropriately enough, Halloween 2024.

Monster Season 3: Cast Details For The Original Monster

Charlie Hunnam Will Play Ed Gein

Leading a season of Monster is never easy, and though frequent Ryan Murphy collaborator Evan Peters won acclaim for his portrayal of Jeffrey Dahmer, it wasn’t without its controversies as well. This will likely carry over into The Original Monster, where Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy) has been tapped to play serial killer Ed Gein. Joining Hunnam is Laurie Metcalf (The Conners) who will play Gein’s domineering mother, Augusta. Though no other people attached to the case have been cast yet, Gein’s life and crimes span several decades, and it may require a massive ensemble to tell the story properly.

In an interesting twist, Tom Hollander has been cast as iconic director Alfred Hitchcock, who famously adapted Robert Bloch’s novel Psycho, which is loosely based on Gein’s crimes. Joining Hollander is Olivia Williams (The Crown) who will play Hitchcock’s wife and longtime creative collaborator, Alma. This opens the door for more famous faces from Hollywood history, and it’s possible that Psycho stars Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins could also be fictionalized in The Original Monster.

Monster Season 3: The Original Monster Story Details

One Of The World’s Most Notorious Serial Killers

Though the first two seasons of Monster tackled big cases, The Original Monster is stepping back in time to cover one of the most infamous crimes in world history. Season 3 will tell the story of 1950s Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein who, across several decades, exhumed dozens of recently-buried bodies in order to make keepsakes from their remains. Gein’s rural Wisconsin farmhouse became a literal house of horrors when police arrested him in 1957 for the murder of local store owner Bernice Worden.

Gein was later linked to the murder of Mary Hogan in 1954, and he was the subject of a sensationalized trial that saw him remanded to a mental health facility for the remainder of his life. Gein’s mental status was the subject of debate for decades, and his crime was seen as the beginning of a dark period in American history in which serial crime rose between the 1950s until it’s peak in the 1980s. Unsurprisingly, Gein had a profound impact on popular culture and served as the inspiration for fictionalized characters like Leatherface, Norman Bates, and Buffalo Bill.

At this juncture, it’s unclear how Monster season 3 will approach Gein’s story, and unlike Dahmer or the Menendez brothers, many of the facts of the case aren’t cut-and-dry. Much that is currently known about Gein’s crimes is based on forensic extrapolation, and Gein’s own testimony is potentially clouded. On top of that, some sensationalized details have become part of the story that aren’t actually true, and The Original Monster will need to choose between facts and fiction when tackling Gein’s story.

This true crime drama delves into the infamous case of Lyle and Erik Menendez, two brothers who were convicted of murdering their parents. The series examines the complex family dynamics and legal battles that captivated the nation, highlighting the motivations and repercussions of their actions.

Cast

Cooper Koch , Nicholas Alexander Chavez , Javier Bardem , Chloe Sevigny , Nathan Lane , Ari Graynor , Marlene Forte , Blanca Araceli , Dallas Roberts , leslie grossman , Charlie Hall , Nathen Gurrola

Seasons

1