Picture: Netflix
Production on the third installment of Ryan Murphy’s anthology is complete, with Monster: The Ed Gein Story now in post-production. Charlie Hunnam stars as Ed Gein, joined by Laurie Metcalf, Tom Hollander, Olivia Williams, and Vicky Krieps. Below, we track all aspects of Monster: The Ed Gein Story, including plot details, the full cast, production timeline, and official release date.
Monster: The Ed Gein Story is the third season of the Netflix Original anthology created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, with Ryan Murphy Productions and Prospect Films producing.
Numerous titles for this particular season were rumored or reported throughout its various stages of production. Some have called it Monsters: Ed Gein the Butcher of Plainfield, others refer to it as just Monsters S3, and we’ve also seen Monster: Ed Gein: The Original Monster. Netflix has officially confirmed now the title is: Monster: The Ed Gein Story.
Across its first two installments, the franchise has been a major performer for Netflix. Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story surpassed 1 billion hours viewed, while Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story debuted at #1 globally and recorded 19.5 million views in its second week on the English TV list.
What is the plot of Monster: The Ed Gein Story?
The season centers on Ed Gein, the “Butcher of Plainfield,” whose crimes in the 1950s inspired horror mainstays from Norman Bates in Psycho to Leatherface in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Gein was convicted of killing Bernice Worden and confessed to killing Mary Hogan, and he admitted to stealing from nine graves in local cemeteries. The story explores Gein’s isolated upbringing, his fixation on his mother Augusta, and the cultural aftershocks of his crimes.
The official synopsis for the season is as follows:
“Serial killer. Grave robber. Psycho. In the frozen fields of 1950s rural Wisconsin, a friendly, mild-mannered recluse named Eddie Gein lived quietly on a decaying farm – hiding a house of horrors so gruesome it would redefine the American nightmare. Driven by isolation, psychosis, and an all-consuming obsession with his mother, Gein’s perverse crimes birthed a new kind of monster that would haunt Hollywood for decades. From Psycho to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre to The Silence of the Lambs, Gein’s macabre legacy gave birth to fictional monsters born in his image and ignited a cultural obsession with the criminally deviant. Ed Gein didn’t just influence a genre — he became the blueprint for modern horror.”
Pictured: Ed Gein
Who is in the cast of Monster: The Ed Gein Story?
The first announced cast member was Charlie Hunnam as Ed Gein. Hunnam was front and center in Netflix’s Rebel Moon movie franchise and also known for his role in Sons of Anarchy.
Soon after, three more core roles were confirmed:
- Laurie Metcalf as Augusta Gein (Gein’s mother). Metcalf voices Andy’s Mom in Toy Story and recurs as Sheldon’s mother in The Big Bang Theory, and starred in Roseanne and The Dropout.
- Tom Hollander as Alfred Hitchcock, tying the story to the making and legacy of Psycho.
- Olivia Williams as Alma Reville (Hitchcock’s wife and collaborator). Williams portrayed Camilla Parker-Bowles in The Crown and stars in Dune: Prophecy.
- Suzanna Son as Adeline Watkins (Red Rocket, Fear Street: Prom Queen, The Idol)
Additional casting:
- Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread, Old, Bergman Island) as Ilse Koch
- Joey Pollari (American Crime; Love, Simon) as Anthony Perkins
- Tyler Jacob Moore (Shameless, Perry Mason) as Sheriff Schley
- Charlie Hall (Bel-Air, Monsters) as Deputy Worden
- Will Brill (The OA, Fellow Travelers) as Tobe Hooper
- Mimi Kennedy (Midnight in Paris, In the Loop) as Dr. Mildred Newman
- Robin Weigert (Deadwood, Smile) as Enid Watkins
- Lesley Manville (Another Year, Phantom Thread) as Bernice Worden
Previously Rumoured Cast
- Addison Rae as Evelyn Hartley.
- Emma Halleen as Suzette.
Cast grid for Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Who is directing?
Carl Franklin was originally expected to return to direct, but that has not yet been confirmed. Ian Brennan is on board to direct episodes 4 and 5. Max Winkler is confirmed to return to the director’s chair this season, directing episodes 1-3 and episodes 6-8.
What is the production status of Monster: The Ed Gein Story?
Filming took place primarily in Los Angeles, California, and Chicago, Illinois. Chicago work was slated to begin on February 10, 2025. Principal photography wrapped in spring 2025.
On November 20, 2024, we published first-look photos of Charlie Hunnam on set with Vicky Krieps in Los Angeles, followed by additional set images the next day that captured Tom Hollander and Olivia Williams as Hitchcock and Alma Reville.
Picture Credit: Dsanchez/CPR / BACKGRID
Picture Credit: Dsanchez/CPR / BACKGRID
Episode Titles for Monster: The Ed Gein Story
We’ve found out the eight episode titles for the series in alphabetical order:
- Buxom Bird
- Green
- Ham Radio
- Ice
- Mother
- Sick as You Secrets
- The Babysitter
- The Godfather
When will Monster: The Ed Gein Story be released on Netflix?
Despite some rumors that the series had been pushed into 2026, Ryan Murphy has indicated an October 2025 launch window in an interview with Gavin Newsom on his podcast.
Netflix has finally confirmed that October 3rd is the confirmed release date globally on Netflix. The announcement came alongside three teaser posters:
Monsters Will Return for Season 4
Despite Ryan Murphy returning to Disney under his overall deal, a fourth season of Monsters is on the way. As we were among the first to report, season 4 will be tackling the Lizzie Borden murders with Ella Beatty signed up as Lizzie Borden, Rebecca Hall as Abby Borden, and Vicky Krieps as Bridget Sullivan.
Will you be watching Monster: The Ed Gein Story on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!
