Netflix has announced an October 3 premiere date for Monster: The Ed Gein Story, the third installment of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s hit anthology series. This season, Sons of Anarchy star Charlie Hunnam takes on a chilling new role as Ed Gein, the infamous murderer and grave robber whose crimes inspired some of Hollywood’s most enduring horror icons.
Who was Ed Gein?
Ed Gein, known as the “Butcher of Plainfield” or the “Plainfield Ghoul,” was arrested in the 1950s for the murders of two women in rural Wisconsin. Investigators later uncovered that Gein had exhumed corpses from local graveyards, using human remains to craft grotesque household items.
While authorities suspected him in other deaths—including that of his brother Henry—Gein was never conclusively tied to those cases. His crimes left a cultural scar, reshaping American horror through fictional characters inspired by him, including Norman Bates (Psycho), Leatherface (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre), and Buffalo Bill (The Silence of the Lambs).
Charlie Hunnam’s transformation
Hunnam, best known for playing Jax Teller on FX’s Sons of Anarchy, undergoes a radical transformation to play the mild-mannered yet deeply disturbed recluse. New promotional posters released by Netflix showcase his eerie resemblance to the real-life Gein.
The series logline teases:
“Serial killer. Grave robber. Psycho. In the frozen fields of 1950s rural Wisconsin, Eddie Gein lived quietly on a decaying farm—hiding a house of horrors so gruesome it would redefine the American nightmare.”
The cast and creative team
The cast includes:
- Laurie Metcalf as Augusta, Gein’s domineering mother
- Tom Hollander as Alfred Hitchcock
- Olivia Williams as Alma Reville, Hitchcock’s wife
- Addison Rae as Evelyn Hartley
- Charlie Hall as Deputy Frank Worden
- Suzanna Son in an undisclosed role
Also starring: Olivia Williams, Lesley Manville, Joey Pollari, Tyler Jacob Moore, Mimi Kennedy, Will Brill, and Robin Weigert.
Behind the camera, the series is executive produced by Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan, Max Winkler, Eric Kovtun, Scott Robertson, Nissa Diederich, Louise Shore, Carl Franklin, and Charlie Hunnam himself. Brennan will write and direct key midseason episodes, while Winkler directs most of the season, including the finale.
Where does this fit in the Monster anthology?
Monster debuted in 2022 with Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, which became one of Netflix’s most-watched shows of all time. It was followed by Monster: The Menendez Murders, chronicling the case of brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez.
Season 4 is already in development, centering on Lizzie Borden, the Massachusetts woman tried and acquitted of killing her father and stepmother in 1892. Actress Ella Beatty will play Borden, joined by Rebecca Hall and Vicky Krieps.
Why Ed Gein’s story still resonates
Gein’s case continues to fascinate because it represents the convergence of true crime and cultural myth. Unlike other killers, his grisly acts transcended the headlines to become the foundation for decades of horror storytelling.
By casting a high-profile actor like Charlie Hunnam, Netflix appears to be leaning into both the notoriety of Gein’s crimes and the broader cultural fascination with how real-world horrors influence art.
Monster: The Ed Gein Story will premiere on Netflix globally on October 3, 2025.
