Charlie Hunnam takes on the chilling role of serial killer Ed Gein in “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” the third season of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s hit Netflix anthology series. This season dives into the disturbing true story of the “Butcher of Plainfield,” whose gruesome crimes in 1950s Wisconsin inspired some of Hollywood’s most iconic horror films like Psycho and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Starring alongside Tom Hollander, Laurie Metcalf, and Suzanna Son, the new season premieres October 3 on Netflix

There’s a new monster in the next installment of Ryan Murphy’s Netflix anthology series — and now we’re finally getting our first proper look at him.

Netflix has dropped the first peek at season 3 of its Monster anthology series from Murphy and Ian Brennan, which stars Sons of Anarchy alum Charlie Hunnam as killer Ed Gein, the “Butcher of Plainfield.”

Gein was only convicted of one murder in the 1950s, but he was suspected of committing others. Known to have collected human body parts, Gein has served as the inspiration behind fictional killers throughout history, including Norman Bates in Psycho and Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs. He spent the later part of his life in a mental institution and died in 1984.

The streamer revealed that Monster: The Ed Gein Story will focus on “the frozen fields of 1950s rural Wisconsin” and tell the story of how “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.”

The show’s synopsis continues, “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 Chain Saw 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.”

Netflix

‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story’ starring Charlie Hunnam
The show vows to tell the tale of “how one simple man in Wisconsin” became a “singular ghoul” and “revealed to the world the most horrific truth of all — that monsters aren’t born, they’re made… by us.”

Netflix

‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story’
Monster: The Ed Gein Story will premiere globally on Netflix on Oct. 3.

Hunnam’s casting was announced last September. Best known for playing biker Jackson “Jax” Teller on Sons of Anarchy for seven seasons, Hunnam was recently seen in Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire, which hit Netflix in December, and previously starred in Pacific Rim, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, and Crimson Peak.

The Monster anthology began with Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, which starred Evan Peters as the titular serial killer. Released in September 2022, it netted both Peters and Richard Jenkins Emmy nominations, and earned Niecy Nash an award for her supporting role as Dahmer’s neighbor.

Netflix

‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story’
The series’ second installment, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, featured the story of the Menendez brothers, who were convicted of having murdered their parents in their Beverly Hills home in 1989. The series starred Nicholas Chavez as Lyle and Cooper Koch as Erik. Javier Bardem played their father, José, while Chloë Sevigny portrayed their mom, Mary Louise “Kitty.”

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Charlie Hunnam
Monsters and the documentaryThe Menendez Brothers, which dropped on Netflix last fall, largely contributed to the renewed fascination with the killers’ 1996 trial. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office even reopened their case, which led to the brothers getting resentenced in May.

Murphy will next focus on the story of notorious accused ax murderer Lizzie Borden for season 4 of the true-crime anthology series. The prolific creator and producer has already cast the star of the upcoming season, Ella Beatty, the daughter of Warren Beatty and Annette Bening. She’ll be joined by Rebecca Hall and Vicky Krieps.

Monster airs in parallel with two other sprawling Murphy projects: Feud, which dramatizes high-profile interpersonal conflicts, and the extended American Story franchise, which includes the anthology series American Horror Story, American Horror Stories, American Crime Story, and the upcoming Love Story.