‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’ Sets Netflix Release Date, Unveils First-Look Photos
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- Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story premieres September 17 on Netflix, marking the anthology's first female "monster," with Ella Beatty in the title role alongside Vicky Krieps as Bridget Sullivan, Rebecca Hall as Abby Borden, and Charlie Hunnam as Andrew Borden.
- Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan created and wrote the series, with Max Winkler and Sarah Adina Smith directing and executive producers including Scott Robertson, Louise Shore, and Carl Franklin.
- Additional cast features Billie Lourd, Sarah Paulson, Joey Pollari, and Jessica Barden, reinforcing Murphy's stable of recurring collaborators.
- The official logline frames the murders as the origin of "an icon who refuses to live imprisoned in a cage," casting Lizzie and her maid's relationship as a "fantasy of sex, power, and revenge."
- Lizzie Borden has been depicted previously in Lifetime's The Lizzie Borden Chronicles starring Christina Ricci and the 2018 feature Lizzie with Chloë Sevigny and Kristen Stewart as the maid—nearly the same dynamic Murphy's version foregrounds.
- First-look photos show a blood-covered Beatty as Lizzie, with Oliver Spenceman also featured in the gallery alongside the principal cast.
Why it matters: The September 17 premiere positions the Lizzie Borden story as a gender-swapped pivot for the Monster franchise, which previously centered male serial killers. Starring Ella Beatty (daughter of Warren Beatty and Annette Bening) opposite Murphy regular Sarah Paulson gives the installment built-in awards and audience pull after the franchise's prior Ed Gein chapter.
