Monster Creator Ian Brennan Shares 10-Season Plan

Ian Brennan and Ryan Murphy have established a firm 10-season roadmap for their Netflix anthology series, *Monster*. This long-term vision requires a disciplined approach to source material. The creators maintain an active "hopper" of potential subjects, a repository of historical crimes and figures that are evaluated for their narrative density and ability to sustain a full season. Brennan describes the selection criteria as a search for "gravity"—a specific kind of pull or momentum that makes a case feel inevitable once development begins. When a subject moves from the hopper into active production, the writing team enters what Brennan terms a "fever dream," a period of intense, immersive drafting where the historical facts are filtered through the show’s established stylistic lens.

The commitment to a 10-season arc suggests that the creators view the series not as a collection of disjointed stories, but as a cumulative examination of human behavior under extreme duress. By setting this target, they create a boundary for the anthology, forcing the team to be highly selective about which figures from history earn the *Monster* treatment. Each selection must survive the scrutiny of the development phase, where many high-profile cases are discarded if they fail to generate enough thematic weight to sustain eight episodes.

Lizzie Borden Season Details

The fourth installment, *Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story*, brings the series to the 1892 hatchet murders in Fall River, Massachusetts. Spanning eight episodes, the season navigates the brutal deaths of Andrew and Abby Borden and the subsequent, highly publicized trial of their daughter, Lizzie. The production team does not treat the historical transcript as a rigid script. Instead, they apply significant creative license to expand the scope of the events, looking past the basic facts of the crime to interrogate the psychological state of the central figures. [[1]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/monster-the-lizzie-borden-story-10-seasons-creator-interview-1236705112/)

The series digs into the repressive atmosphere of the late 19th century, framing the Borden household as a pressure cooker of stifled ambition and familial toxicity. By focusing on the societal "cages" placed on women of that era, the show attempts to provide a modern, albeit speculative, context for why a woman in Lizzie’s position might resort to violence.

The casting reflects a desire to ground these historical archetypes in palpable tension. Ella Beatty takes on the central role of Lizzie, while Charlie Hunnam and Rebecca Hall portray the elder Bordens. Vicky Krieps provides a dual performance, serving as the housekeeper Bridget while also embodying Elizabeth Bathory in stylized flashbacks that bridge the thematic gap between historical eras. The season premiered in September 2026, anchoring the autumn release window for the franchise. [[2]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/monster-the-lizzie-borden-story-review-netflix-ryan-murphy-1236705084/)

Exploring Female Rage and Sexuality

*The Lizzie Borden Story* represents a departure for the anthology as the first season to feature a female lead. This shift allows the writers to explore themes of female rage and the specific forms of repression that defined the period. The narrative does not shy away from the controversial elements of the Borden legend. Most notably, the production incorporates various lesbian theories that have long surrounded the historical figure of Lizzie Borden. By weaving these theories into the plot, the show challenges the sanitized, one-dimensional portrayals often found in historical documentaries.

The appearance of Sarah Paulson as Aileen Wuornos in the middle of the season serves as more than a cameo. It acts as a bridge between the disparate chapters of the *Monster* anthology, inviting the audience to draw comparisons between the societal treatment of female killers across different centuries. This technique suggests that the creators are interested in building a shared universe of "monsters," where the labels applied to these women say as much about the observers as they do about the accused.

Evaluating Potential Season Subjects

The selection process for future seasons is rigorous. The creators rely on a vetting system that filters out stories that are too fleeting or lack the necessary visceral impact. A prime example of this filtering process occurred during the development of season four. The production team seriously evaluated the 2024 murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson by Luigi Mangione. [[3]](https://www.imdb.com/news/ni66022086/?ref_=ttnw_art_perm)

The case possessed the elements of a modern "monster" story: high-profile targets, public fascination, and a dramatic pursuit. However, the creators ultimately abandoned the project. Their reasoning centered on two core issues:

• Temporal Proximity: The case was deemed too recent, lacking the historical distance required for the show's specific aesthetic and analytical style.
• Lack of Visceral Quality: Despite the media attention, the case did not present the deep, psychological "gravity" that the creators require for an eight-episode exploration.

This decision highlights the difference between a sensational news cycle and a suitable subject for the *Monster* anthology. A story must have the capacity for deep-dive analysis into the "cages" and internal pressures of the subject. If a case is purely external or lacks the potential for thematic expansion, it remains in the hopper—or is discarded entirely.

Practical Challenges in Production

Translating historical events into a scripted, eight-episode format requires a delicate balance. The production team must reconcile the known facts of the 1892 trial with the dramatic demands of a modern television audience. Because the Borden case is so deeply embedded in American folklore, the audience arrives with preconceived notions about Lizzie's guilt or innocence. [[4]](https://www.facebook.com/netflixfanslivehere/posts/one-week-until-monster-the-lizzie-borden-story-arrives-on-netflixthe-fourth-inst/1094218856297909/)

The "fever dream" writing approach described by Brennan likely refers to the difficulty of maintaining this balance. When the historical record is thin or contradictory, the writers use their creative license to fill the gaps with character-driven motivations. This is particularly evident in the depiction of Bridget (Maggie), whose perspective as a housekeeper offers a grounded, observational viewpoint on the escalating tension within the household.

For the production team, the challenge is to keep the viewer engaged without turning the subject into a caricature. Every choice—from the casting of Vicky Krieps in a dual, symbolic role to the inclusion of Sarah Paulson—is aimed at deepening the viewer's understanding of the "monster" label. The 10-season plan suggests that the creators have a long-term goal of mapping out the various ways society defines, creates, and ultimately consumes these stories. By the time the final season arrives, the anthology aims to present a comprehensive, if unconventional, look at the nature of violence and the figures who become the face of it.

The production team also faces the constant hurdle of maintaining the show’s tone while shifting between centuries and social classes. Whether they are dealing with the Victorian-era constraints of Fall River or the more modern, media-saturated environments of other seasons, the goal remains the same: to find the "momentum" in the narrative that allows for a compelling, eight-episode arc. As the series moves toward its 10-season goal, the selection of subjects will likely remain the most critical part of their process, ensuring that each new "monster" adds a unique layer to the larger, ongoing project.

References

1. 1'Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story' Creator Reveals 10-Season Plan
2. 2'Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story' Review: Lurid Faux-Feminism
3. 3Was Aileen Wuornos Really Inspired by Lizzie Borden? Netflix's 'Monster ...
4. 4ONE WEEK until MONSTER: THE LIZZIE BORDEN STORY arrives on ...
5. 5'Monster' Creator Ian Brennan Shares 10-Season Plan and Dives Into First ...
6. 6'Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story' Team on Centering Female Killer