All About the Season Starring Charlie Hunnam as Ed Gein

Monster season 3 is just a few weeks away from haunting viewers everywhere.

The Netflix anthology series — created by Ryan Murphy — is returning for its third installment, following two seasons that brought new attention to Jeffrey Dahmer’s horrifying killing spree and the crimes of Erik and Lyle Menendez.

This time, the show will focus on one of America’s most chilling serial killers of all time: Ed Gein. With Charlie Hunnam in the leading role, season 3 will dive into the haunting story of the notorious 1950s murderer who not only took multiple lives but also exhumed graves to create household and clothing items from human remains.

Adapting Gein’s narrative into the next Monster season was not an easy decision, Murphy told Tudum.

“I only write things or direct things that I’m interested in exploring, sometimes to figure things out for myself. So it’s personal to me, what I make,” the showrunner said, adding that it took him a “long time to land on Ed Gein” for the third season.

The installments have been a streaming success since the series debuted in September 2022. Season 1 — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story — made history as one of only four Netflix shows to surpass 1 billion viewing hours in its first 60 days. Meanwhile, season 2 — Monsters: The Erik and Lyle Menendez Story — followed suit, dominating Netflix’s top 10 for weeks after its September 2024 release.

Here’s everything to know about season 3 of Monster, starring Charlie Hunnam as Ed Gein.

What is Monster season 3 about?

The third installment of the Netflix anthology series will tell the real-life story of serial killer and grave robber Gein and his years-long murder spree.

Like the other installments in the Monster anthology, season 3 will likely focus on how Gein became the maniacal murderer he was, starting with his Plainfield, Wis., origins. Gein was born in 1906 to an alcoholic father and an allegedly fanatically puritanical mother, according to the MGM+ docuseries Psycho: The Lost Tapes of Ed Gein.

His mother, who will be played by Roseanne’s Laurie Metcalf, allegedly forbade Gein from interacting with most of society, believing it to be evil. As a result, the docuseries claimed that Gein became incredibly dependent on and idolized her, causing him to spiral and become a recluse after her 1945 death. Soon after, he developed a disturbing interest in dead bodies.

Gein’s gruesome crimes have also inspired films, including Psycho, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Silence of the Lambs.

“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,” says a synopsis of the series, via Tudum. “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.”

Who was Ed Gein?

Gein became an infamous serial killer in the 1950s when authorities discovered he had not only committed multiple murders, but also exhumed graves from a nearby cemetery, using human remains to craft household items and clothing.

The Wisconsin native initially filled his home with body parts, including genitalia, fueling theories of necrophilia. His crimes escalated to murder, and in 1957, he was arrested after killing local hardware store owner Bernice Worden.

Gein was convicted of murdering both Worden and Mary Hogan, who had vanished years earlier. Her head was later found in his home, linking him to her death. He also became the prime suspect in his brother’s mysterious 1944 death.

A police raid uncovered gruesome evidence, including skulls, decapitated heads and body parts, earning Gein the nicknames “The Butcher of Plainfield” and “The Plainfield Ghoul.”

Though found guilty, Gein was deemed insane and unfit for trial, spending the remainder of his life in mental institutions. In 1984, he died of lung cancer at 77 years old.

Who is in the cast of Monster season 3?

Hunnam — who is best known for his role as Jax Teller in FX’s Sons of Anarchy — will star as serial killer and grave robber Gein.

The actor is joined by Metcalf, who will appear as Gein’s mother, Augusta Gein. Meanwhile, Pride & Prejudice‘s Tom Hollander will portray Alfred Hitchcock, and Dune: Prophecy‘s Olivia Williams will take on the role of Alma Reville, Hitchcock’s wife.

Variety later confirmed that Suzanna Son, Vicky Krieps, Lesley Manville, Joey Pollari, Charlie Hall, Tyler Jacob Moore, Mimi Kennedy, Will Brill and Robin Weigert have also joined the cast. As shown in the trailer, Addison Rae also appears in the series.

When did Monster season 3 begin filming?

Filming for season 3 of Monster began in November 2024. Excited fans got a sneak peek of Hunnam dressed as Gein on set, complete with trousers, a plaid shirt, a jacket and a comb-over hairstyle.

When will Monster season 3 come out?

In August 2025, Netflix announced that the third season of the series will premiere on Oct. 3, 2025.

Seasons 1 and 2 of the series are available to stream on Netflix in the meantime. Season 1 tells the story of serial killer Dahmer, while season 2 follows the Menendez brothers, teenagers convicted of killing their parents, José and Kitty Menendez.