The one-man juggernaut that is Ryan Murphy announced earlier this year that the next season of his hit Netflix series, Monster, would focus on infamous serial killer Ed Gein, with Sons of Anarchy’s Charlie Hunnam in the lead role. Now, we have our first look at Hunnam in character, and the resemblance to Gein is so uncanny that we had to blink twice to make sure it wasn’t an AI clone.

What’s on Netflix recently shared a few photos snapped by Backgrid (seen below), which show Hunnam wearing Gein’s trademark flannel and sporting the close-cropped, slicked to the side haircut that can be seen in many photos taken of The Butcher of Plainfield after he was arrested in 1957. Dubbed The Original Monster for Season 3, the Netflix series also features Vicky Krieps, who can also be seen in the pics wearing a lavish yellow dress with a cowl. Known for past performances in the likes of M. Night Shyamalan’s Old and the 2017 critical hit Phantom Thread, her role in the series has yet to be disclosed.

Related 10 Horror Movies Inspired by the Crimes of Serial Killer Ed Gein No real life killer has inspired more classic horror flicks than Ed Gein.

Other cast members next season include Roseanne’s Laurie Metcalf as Gein’s mother, Augusta, as well as Tom Hollander and Olivia Williams portraying Alfred Hitchcock and his wife, Alma Reville. This tells us that not only will The Original Monster focus on the heinous crimes of Gein, but also look to tell how he entered the public consciousness thanks to Hitchcock, who adapted Robert Block’s 1959 novel Psycho for the big screen, which was loosely based on the serial killer.

‘Monster’ Has Been a Huge Hit for Ryan Murphy and Netflix

Released in 2022, the first installment of Monster focused on the notorious Jeffrey Dahmer, who was arrested in 1991 and later found to have killed and dismembered seventeen people over the course of 13 years. Starring Evan Peters in the lead role, the series was an immediate hit for Netflix, and would go on to become the streaming service’s second most-viewed English-language season of all time with more than 700 million hours viewed in its first 21 days. Peters earned a Golden Globe Award for his efforts, and Niecy Nash took home a Primetime Emmy Award for her portrayal of Glenda Cleavland, Dahmer’s neighbor.

The second installment of the anthology series, titled The Lyle and Eric Menendez Story, wasn’t as successful in terms of viewership as Dahmer was, but it proved to be a hit in its own right, mainly due in part to the controversy it drew from the brothers themselves, with Eric calling it a “dishonest portrayal of the tragedies surrounding our crime.” The pair were convicted of killing their parents in 1989 and sentenced to life in prison without parole. However, the two are expected to have a re-sentencing trial in January 2025, which could finally set them free after all these years.

Needless to say, Monster has been a smash hit for both Murphy and Netflix, and with the third season exploring what is arguably the most famous serial killer in history, we expect its success to continue. Filming is expected to wrap in March of next year, with a release date coming shortly thereafter.

Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story