Ahead of the release of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story on Netflix, series creator Ryan Murphy confirmed that the next instalment in the anthology would focus on serial killer Ed Gein.

Advertisement

Not only did Murphy announce who the new season would focus on but also, that Sons of Anarchy star Charlie Hunnam would be leading the cast.

Production on the new season will kick off later this month, but the casting choice of Hunnam as Gein has certainly caused a stir on social media already, with discussion continuing surrounding the romanticisation of serial killers.

But when is the new season set to be released and who exactly was Ed Gein? Read on for everything we know so far about Monsters season 3.

Monsters season 3 release date speculation

As of now, there's no confirmed release date for Monsters season 3.

More like this

However, Netflix has confirmed that production will kick off later this September.

Seeing as the first Dahmer series was released in 2022 and the second has been released in September 2024, we would assume that the third season would follow the same release pattern and be released in a couple of years.

Therefore, we'd likely expect Monsters season 3 to be on our screens some time in 2026.

Monsters season 3 cast news

It's now been confirmed that Charlie Hunnam will be leading the cast of the third Monsters season as serial killer Ed Gein.

The English actor is known for his roles in Sons of Anarchy, Queer As Folk, Shantaram and Undeclared.

He has also starred in films like Pacific Rim, The Gentlemen and in the Rebel Moon film franchise.

As of now, Hunnam is the only cast member to be announced for the new Monster season, so we'll keep this article updated.

What will Monsters season 3 be about – Who was Ed Gein?

Edward Gein.
Edward Gein. Bettman via Getty

All that we know so far is that the third season of Monsters will focus on Ed Gein, and if previous seasons of the series are anything to go by, we would expect to go into some pretty heavy detail surrounding his crimes.

But who was Ed Gein?

Gein was an American murderer and suspected serial killer whose gruesome crimes went on to become the morbid inspiration for numerous fictional film characters, including Psycho’s Norman Bates, Buffalo Bill from The Silence of the Lambs and Leatherface from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

Born in 1906 as Edward Theodore Gein in Wisconsin, Gein grew up in a puritanical household raised majorly by his mother, who he became devoted to.

After her death in 1945, it was said that Gein became deranged and in a bid to keep his mother's memory alive, kept her room tidy but the rest of his home unkempt as he became a hermit in the wake of her death.

In 1957, a 58-year-old hardware store owner named Bernice Worden was reported missing in Plainfield and, having been seen with her a short time before her disappearance, police went to visit Gein at his home. It was there that they discovered her decapitated body.

On further inspection of Gein's home, the police found that Gein had collected numerous body parts, which he used to make masks, items of clothing and household items such as bowls out of skulls. The police discovered that Gein had regularly robbed graves in order to collect human remains. The police also discovered the head of another missing woman, Mary Hogan, at Gein's property.

Gein went on to admit to killing the two women but pled not guilty by reason of insanity. In 1958, he was deemed unfit for trial after being diagnosed with schizophrenia and was held in numerous psychiatric institutions.

In 1968, Gein was deemed fit for trial and was subsequently found guilty of Worden's murder.

Gein was deemed insane at the time of his sentencing and was returned to a psychiatric institution where he remained until his death in 1984.

He died of complications from lung cancer and respiratory illnesses, aged 77.

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is now streaming on Netflix – sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

Advertisement

Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement