Netflix has set a premiere date for the next chapter of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s true-crime anthology series. Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story will arrive on the streaming platform on September 17, 2026, with all eight episodes dropping at once. The streamer also released first-look images and a teaser trailer that gives viewers a look at Ella Beatty as the accused axe murderer.
The series marks the fourth installment of the Monster anthology, following seasons about Jeffrey Dahmer, the Menendez brothers, and Ed Gein. This season focuses on the 1892 axe murders of Andrew and Abby Borden in Fall River, Massachusetts, and the trial of their daughter Lizzie, who was accused but ultimately acquitted of the killings.
Ella Beatty Leads the Cast as Lizzie Borden
Ella Beatty, daughter of Hollywood actors Warren Beatty and Annette Bening, takes on the role of Lizzie Borden. Beatty previously appeared in FX’s Feud: Capote vs. the Swans and the film If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.
In a statement released by Netflix, Beatty shared her excitement about the project.
“I am so excited for viewers to experience our exploration of Lizzie Borden’s story and the questions that her life animates to this day. It has been a dream come true to investigate this complicated person’s psychology and to examine an American crime that feels almost mythic in proportion. This season gives us our first female Monster and delves into female rage and repression which I’ve found to feel strikingly relevant, and I cannot wait to share it with the world.”
The supporting cast includes several well-known names. Charlie Hunnam, who received an Emmy nomination for playing Ed Gein in the previous Monster season, returns to play Andrew Borden, Lizzie’s father. Rebecca Hall plays Abby Borden, Lizzie’s stepmother. Vicky Krieps takes on the role of Bridget Sullivan, the family’s live-in maid. Billie Lourd plays Lizzie’s older sister Emma, and Jessica Barden appears as Lizzie’s friend Nance O’Neil. Sarah Paulson also joins the cast in a guest role as serial killer Aileen Wuornos.
Teaser Trailer Shows Bloody and Stylish Take on the Story
Netflix released the first teaser trailer for the series on August 11. The trailer shows Beatty’s Lizzie Borden covered in blood, holding an axe. The teaser features a dark, stylish tone with piano music creating a chilling atmosphere.
The series is described as the anthology’s “wildest installment yet”. In interviews with Vanity Fair, the cast and creators said viewers can expect dark comedy throughout the season. The show will also feature modern music choices, with songs from Kate Bush and indie rockers Wet Leg on the soundtrack.
Rebecca Hall described the story to Vanity Fair as a Ryan Murphy-style twist on Cinderella, with her character playing the wicked stepmother. The series also explores the idea that Lizzie and maid Bridget Sullivan were romantically involved, a theory that has appeared in previous adaptations.
The Official Synopsis
Netflix released the official logline for the series:
“When the repressed daughter of a wealthy New England family and her rebellious maid find themselves trapped in a house built on humiliation and cruelty, they escape into a fantasy of sex, power, and revenge. The gruesome unsolved murders that follow don’t just shock the world—they give birth to an icon who refuses to live imprisoned in a cage, choosing instead to forge her own legend: shocking, monstrous, and gloriously free.”
The True Story Behind the Series
Lizzie Borden was a 32-year-old Sunday school teacher when her father, 69-year-old Andrew Borden, and her stepmother, 64-year-old Abby Borden, were found hacked to death in their Fall River home on August 4, 1892. Lizzie was accused of delivering nearly 40 axe blows to both victims.
The case became a national sensation. Lizzie was tried in 1893, and after deliberating for just over an hour, an all-male jury found her not guilty. The crime was never officially solved, and it remains one of America’s most famous unsolved murder cases.
The Borden case has inspired numerous screen adaptations over the years, including the 2015 Lifetime series The Lizzie Borden Chronicles starring Christina Ricci and the 2018 film Lizzie starring Chloë Sevigny and Kristen Stewart.
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What Sets This Season Apart
This season of Monster is the first to focus on a female killer. It is also the first installment to examine a case where the accused was acquitted, offering a different perspective from previous seasons that centered on convicted killers.
Ian Brennan, who co-created the series with Ryan Murphy, spoke to Vanity Fair about why this case stood out.
“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. You were treated like you were incapable of not only actions, but the thoughts that a man was capable of.”
The series is directed by Max Winkler and Sarah Adina Smith. Brennan serves as creator, writer, and executive producer, with Murphy also executive producing alongside several others.
Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story premieres exclusively on Netflix on September 17, 2026. All eight episodes will be available to stream on that date.
Also Read: Monster Season 4 Gets September Release Date and First Look Images
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