Charlie Hunnam has played bikers, gangsters, explorers, and soccer hooligans over the years. At some point in the near future, he’ll add murderer and body snatcher to that list of characters when he plays Ed Gein in the third installment of Ryan Murphy’s Monster anthology crime series that previously touched on killers like Jeffrey Dahmer and the Menendez Brothers.
Charlie Hunnam’s Ed Gein series is one of those upcoming Netflix shows that I’ve been excited to watch for as long as I’ve known about it, and so it’s safe to assume I have some thoughts now that the streamer is releasing more information. That said, come with me as I break down everything that’s been said about the Netflix true crime show, things I hope to see, and how to get all caught up on the man known as the Butcher of Plainfield who inspired some of the best horror movies ever made.
What We Know About Charlie Hunnam’s Ed Gein Series
Though Netflix has not announced a premiere date, or an official title for Charlie Hunnam’s Ed Gein series, the streamer has dropped some info about the return of one of its best shows to binge. So let's get into what we know first, and then I want to talk about a few things on my mind...
- This Is The Third Season Of Ryan Murphy’s Monster Anthology Series
- The Story Will Follow Ed Gein, AKA, The Butcher Of Plainfield
- Charlie Hunnam Will Play Ed Gein
- Tom Hollander, Laurie Metcalf, and Olivia Williams Will All Have Prominent Roles
- Production Reportedly Got Started In Fall 2024
Charlie Hunnam Playing Ed Gein Could Be The Sons Of Anarchy Star’s Most Interesting Role In A Long Time
Okay, now that you know all the nitty gritty details about the third season of Monster (or whatever it ends up being called), I’ve just got to break down some thoughts that have been swimming around my head as of late. First and foremost, I think Charlie Hunnam playing Ed Gein could be the Sons of Anarchy star’s most interesting role in a long time, and this is coming from a guy who’s all about Hunnam’s body of work.
This is the most excited I’ve been to see Hunnam in a show or movie since those early seasons of Sons of Anarchy when he was kicking all kinds of ass as Jax Teller. However, unlike the Hamlet of the biker scene and other great roles Hunnam has had over the past couple of decades, this time around he’ll be playing one of the most notorious American killers of all time, a man who used the skin from his victims to make gloves, chairs, and lampshades before he was caught.
With Tom Hollander Being Cast As Alfred Hitchcock, I Wonder How Much The Season Will Focus On Psycho
But Charlie Hunnam isn’t the only actor I’m excited to see in the upcoming Ed Gein series, as Netflix has announced some serious talent that’ll be sharing the screen with him. Back when it was revealed in October 2024 that Hunnam would be playing the man known as the Plainfield Ghoul, Netflix Tudum announced that Tom Hollander would be playing Alfred Hitchcock, the filmmaker who famously made Psycho, a book-to-screen adaptation that was heavily influenced by Gein’s life and legacy.
That got me wondering, how much of the next season of Monster will focus on Hitchcock and his quest to turn Robert Bloch’s Psycho novel into one of the most groundbreaking horror films of all time? This could add a fun dynamic to the series, especially if it bounces from narrative to narrative to cover Gein’s crimes and how they influenced pop culture.
Netflix has also announced that Laurie Metcalf will be playing Augusta Gein, Ed’s extremely protective mother who went to great lengths to shelter her son from society and whose death had a massive impact on the later years of his life. Olivia Williams has also been cast as Alfred Hitchcock’s wife, Alma.
That On-Set Photo Of Charlie Hunnam Has Me Cautiously Optimistic
In November 2024, a Twitter account by the name of The AHS Zone (via Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) shared what appeared to be an on-set photo of Charlie Hunnam, and I must admit that it has me cautiously optimistic about the show. With a short haircut and an off-kilter facial expression, as well as some great flannel, the Sons of Anarchy alum looks hauntingly similar to Ed Gein.
But looking like the Butcher of Plainfield and sounding like him are two completely different things, a task that is made even more difficult due to the fact that there is only one recording of Gein’s voice. The only known recording of Gein was the center of James Buddy Day’s 2023 docuseries, The Lost Tapes of Ed Gein, and I am interested to know if Hunnam or Ryan Murphy used the interrogation footage to better develop the character.
Though No New Installments Have Been Announced, I Doubt This Is The End Of Ryan Murphy’s ‘Monster’ At Netflix
Following the success of Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story in 2022, Netflix was quick to give Ryan Murphy two additional installments in the famed TV producer’s true crime series, per Deadline. The second series – Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menedez Story – came out in 2024, quickly finding success and controversy in the days that followed. And now, the Ed Gein series, which still doesn’t have an official title, will be the third installment in the popular anthology series. No future seasons have been announced at this time.
However, I find it highly unlikely that Charlie Hunnam will be the last actor to play a notorious killer in Ryan Murphy’s Monster series, as the show has been popular on Netflix. If that ends up being the case and Netflix picks up additional seasons, I would love to see the show focus on someone like Danny Rolling, Charles Starkweather, or even H. H. Holmes.
Other Ed Gein Movies And Shows Worth Checking Out
No telling when Netflix will release additional information on Charlie Hunnam’s Ed Gein series, but there are still plenty of documentaries and movies about the serial killer who influenced pop culture in the years that followed his heinous crimes.
- Stream Psycho: The Lost Tapes of Ed Gein on MGM+
- Stream Psycho on Netflix
- Stream The Texas Chainsaw Massacre on Prime Video
- Rent/Buy The Silence Of The Lambs on Amazon
While I’m not sure where or if Charlie Hunnam’s Ed Gein series will land on the 2025 TV schedule, I will be patiently waiting to see how the actor and Ryan Murphy will handle such a notorious yet mysterious figure.
