Picture Credit: Netflix
Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s hit true-crime anthology series Monster is returning for its fourth season this fall, and we finally have our first official look at the blood-soaked next chapter: Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story.
As we previously reported, Netflix secretly renewed the anthology juggernaut for a fourth outing to cover the infamous 19th-century Lizzie Borden murders. Filmed between September 2025 and March 2026 under the working title Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, the new season takes the franchise in a bold, darkly comic new direction.
Now, thanks to an exclusive first look from Vanity Fair, we have brand-new details, images, and a confirmed release date. All eight episodes of Monster Season 4 will drop globally on Netflix on Tuesday, September 17th, 2026.
Here is everything you need to know about the new season.
What is Monster Season 4 about?
Following seasons focusing on Jeffrey Dahmer, the Menendez brothers, and Ed Gein, Monster is shifting its focus to its first female alleged perpetrator—and the only one to be acquitted of her crimes.
Here is the official logline for the season:
“This installment of the anthology series would follow Lizzie Borden. Borden lived in Massachusetts in the late 1800s. In 1892, she was accused of murdering both her father and her stepmother with an axe at their shared home. Borden was eventually acquitted of the crimes, but the brutal nature of the murders attracted nationwide attention and contributed to Borden’s place in popular culture.”
While the facts of the 1892 Fall River double homicide remain a mystery, Murphy and Brennan are giving the Victorian-era tale a feminist, darkly comedic spin. Described by the cast as “Ryan Murphy does Cinderella,” the season will feature modern needle drops from artists like Kate Bush and Wet Leg, and heavily lean into the theory that Lizzie and her live-in maid, Bridget Sullivan, were engaged in a lesbian romance that motivated the brutal killings.
Co-creator Ian Brennan told Vanity Fair that the series will explore how society’s oppressive view of women played into Lizzie’s eventual acquittal: “They literally thought that a woman was too weak to pick up an axe. To be a woman in that period was to be almost a completely different species.”
Here are the three new stills and the poster for season 4 (Note: if Netflix drops more today, we’ll update this post!)
Who is in the cast of Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story?
As always, Ryan Murphy has assembled a powerhouse ensemble cast for the anthology.
Leading the series is Ella Beatty (Feud: Capote vs. The Swans) as the titular Lizzie Borden. Joining her as her “renegade,” punk-inspired Fairy Godmother and accomplice, maid Bridget Sullivan, is Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread).
The doomed Borden parents will be played by Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy, Rebel Moon) as wealthy businessman Andrew Borden and Rebecca Hall (The Town, Godzilla x Kong) as evil stepmother Abby Borden. Hall teased her performance to VF as a cross between “Faye Dunaway in Mommie Dearest and Vivian Pickles in Harold and Maude.”
Rounding out the cast are:
- Joey Pollari (Love, Simon) as John Morse
- Jessica Barden (The End of the F***ing World) as Nance O’Neill
- Billie Lourd (American Horror Story) as Emma Borden
A surprise returning Murphy-verse favorite: Co-creator Ian Brennan also confirmed that Monster season 4 will feature appearances from other famous female killers throughout history to highlight the cyclical nature of American true crime. Notably, Sarah Paulson will be returning to the Ryan Murphy universe to portray notorious serial killer Aileen Wuornos. “Sarah Paulson’s good in a production of reading the phone book. But she really is something else in this show,” Brennan teased.
Who is behind the scenes?
The series is co-created and executive produced by Ian Brennan and Ryan Murphy.
Max Winkler (American Horror Story, Love Story) directs the first episode and serves as an executive producer. Additional executive producers include Nissa Diederich, Eric Kovtun, Todd Kubrak, Scott Robertson, and Louise Shore.
As we saw in previous behind-the-scenes glimpses, the massive production—which boasts an estimated budget of $5–7 million per episode—shot across locations in Los Angeles, Chicago, and even Rome, Italy.
Are you excited for Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story? Let us know in the comments below, and keep it locked here at What’s on Netflix for more updates!
