Netflix’s Emmy-winning true-crime anthology series Monster, created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, has officially announced its fourth season, focusing on the infamous Lizzie Borden case, with production underway in Los Angeles as of October 9, 2025. The first season, Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022), drew 856 million viewing hours in its debut week, while the second (Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, 2024) and third (Monster: The Ed Gein Story, October 3, 2025) continued the series’ grip on audiences. Starring Ella Beatty as the titular Lizzie Borden, the new installment explores the 1892 axe murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts. With no release date yet, but filming slated for fall 2025, the season promises Murphy’s signature blend of horror and historical drama, captivating true-crime fans worldwide.
The Lizzie Borden Legacy: A Century-Old Mystery
The Borden case remains one of America’s most enduring enigmas. On August 4, 1892, Andrew and Abby Borden were hacked to death with an axe in their home, with Lizzie, their 32-year-old daughter, acquitted in a sensational 1893 trial despite incriminating evidence like her calm demeanor and inconsistent alibi. The nursery rhyme “Lizzie Borden took an axe…” immortalized the scandal, inspiring works from Victoria Lincoln’s 1961 book to the 2018 film Lizzie. Murphy’s adaptation, will delve into the trial’s media frenzy and societal scrutiny of women, with Beatty—daughter of Warren Beatty and Annette Bening—making her lead debut. “Lizzie’s story is about power, privilege, and perception,” Murphy teased in a Variety interview, promising a “feminist lens” on the era’s gender norms.
Cast and Creative Team: A Stellar Ensemble
Ella Beatty, 24, leads as the enigmatic Lizzie, bringing fresh intensity to the role. Joining her are Vicky Krieps (Corsage) as maid Bridget Sullivan, Rebecca Hall (The Night House) as stepmother Abby Borden, Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy) as father Andrew Borden—reprising from Season 3—and Billie Lourd (American Horror Story) as sister Emma Borden. Jessica Barden (The End of the F*ing World) rounds out the core cast as Lizzie’s friend Nance O’Neill. Murphy and Brennan return as showrunners, with production under 20th Century Studios. “Season 4 is our most audacious yet, blending true crime with theatrical flair,” Brennan told Deadline. Filming in Los Angeles captures the Gilded Age’s opulence and darkness, with a fall 2025 start eyeing a 2026 release.
Human Impact: Revisiting a Taboo Tale
The announcement revives interest in Borden’s story, a symbol of 19th-century misogyny where Lizzie’s acquittal highlighted class biases—affluent white women often escaped conviction. For Beatty, it’s a breakthrough: “Lizzie’s complexity excites me—she’s no villain, just a woman in a man’s world.” Lourd’s involvement adds poignancy, channeling her mother’s legacy. Fans on X trended #MonsterLizzieBorden, with 1 million mentions, praising the “bold choice” for a female lead after male-centric seasons. In a post-#MeToo era, the series probes consent and power, resonating amid ongoing gender debates.
A Monster’s Matriarch
Monster Season 4 isn’t just another true-crime chapter—it’s a reckoning with history’s ghosts. As Lizzie Borden’s axe swings back into focus, it asks: Can fiction unearth forgotten truths? Murphy’s magic suggests yes, promising a season as sharp as the blade.
-By Manoj H