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Production is now underway on the third season of Monster, titled Monster: Ed Gein. Charlie Hunnam is starring as Ed Gein, and he is joined by Tom Hollander, Laurie Metcalf, Vicky Krieps and Olivia Williams. We’ll be covering everything you need to know about Monster: Ed Gein, including the plot, production updates, cast news, and more.
Monster: Ed Gein is the upcoming third season of Ryan Murphy’s Netflix Original anthology series Monster. Ryan Murphy co-created the series with Ian Brennan, serving as executive producer and showrunner. Ryan Murphy Productions and Prospect Films produce the series.
So far, the anthology has covered the crimes of Jeffrey Dahmer and the Menendez Brothers. Between the two seasons, it has amassed over 1.5 billion hours viewed and over 100 million Netflix views worldwide.
Carl Franklin is on board to direct the new season, returning after directing episodes on both prior seasons. Returning from season 2 is Max Winkler, who directed episode 6 of Monsters and has also worked on The Watcher, Minx, American Horror Stories, and Grotesquerie.
Season 3 of the show was confirmed following DAHMER when Netflix handed the show a two-season renewal. Rumors began surfacing back in September about what the new season would cover with John Wayne Gacy one of the rumored subjects with Netflix officially confirming on September 16th that Ed Gein would be the subject.
What is the plot of Monster: Ed Gein?
The third season of Monster will center on serial killer Ed Gein, also known as the Butcher of Plainfield or the Plainfield Ghoul. Between 1947 and 1957, Gein was confirmed to have murdered two women and was suspected of killing seven others, along with mutilating nine courses after desecrating their graves.
Ed Gein is the source of inspiration behind Alfred Hitchcock’s beloved horror-thriller Psycho and the character of Norman Bates.
Outside of his crimes, what defined Ed Gein was his incredibly toxic relationship with his mother, who had raised him to be highly over-reliant on her. After her passing, Ed Gein ultimately lost his sanity, which resulted in his crime spree.
Pictured: Ed Gein
Who is in the cast of Monster: Ed Gein?
The first cast member to be announced was Charlie Hunnam, who will play Ed Gein. Hunnam is most well known for his role as Jackson ‘Jax’ Teller in Sons of Anarchy. He also starred in Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim and Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen. On Netflix, the actor starred as Kai in Rebel Moon—Part One: A Child of Fire and as William ‘Ironhead’ Miller in Triple Frontier.
Picture: Charlie Hunnam (left) and Ed Gein (right)
Soon after, three more were confirmed to have joined the cast of Monster: Ed Gein, Tom Hollander, Laurie Metcalf, and Olivia Williams.
Metcalf plays Augusta Gein, Ed’s mother. She also voices Andy’s Mom in Disney Pixar’s Toy Story and plays Sheldon’s mother in The Big Bang Theory. Metcalf starred in the sitcom Roseanna and The Dropout.
Hollander plays legendary filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock. Hollander is most well known for his role as Cutler Beckett in Pirates of the Caribbean.
Williams plays Alma Reville, the wife of Alfred Hitchcock. Williams played Camilla Parker-Bowles in seasons 5 and 6 of The Crown and stars in the upcoming Dune prequel series on HBO, Dune: Prophecy.
We also learned soon after filming started that Vicky Krieps had joined the cast in a yet-to-be-revealed role. Emma Halleen has been cast in a recurring role as Suzette, and rumored to be starring in season 5 are Karly Rothenberg and Dusty Sorg.
Picture from left to right: Tom Hollander, Laurie Metcalf, and Olivia Williams
What is the production status of Monster: Ed Gein?
At the time of writing, the series is in pre-production, but filming is due to begin on October 25th, 2024. Shooting will predominantly occur in Los Angeles, California, and Chicago, Illinois. Filming is scheduled to end by March 31st, 2025.
On November 20th, we grabbed some first-look pictures of Charlie Hunnam suited and booted alongside Vicky Krieps on set in Los Angeles.
Picture Credit: Dsanchez/CPR / BACKGRID
A day later after we got those pictures, more emerged the day after with Tom Hollander and Olivia Williams seen on set in downtown Los Angeles, portraying Alfred Hitchcock and his wife Alma Reville.
Picture Credit: Dsanchez/CPR / BACKGRID
When will Monster: Ed Gein be released on Netflix?
Filming is due to conclude by the end of March 2025. If lucky, we could see the series on Netflix by the end of the year. However, a 2026 release is equally likely.
Will you be watching Monster: Ed Gein on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!
