The ten episode series Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (read our review HERE) was a huge success for the Netflix streaming service last fall, so Netflix is teaming up with the show’s creators – Ian Brennan and American Horror Story co-creator Ryan Murphy – for at least two more seasons of Monster. The Dahmer story is over, so Monster is now becoming an anthology series that will “tell the stories of other monstrous figures who have impacted society.” And Netflix just announced that season 2 will be titled Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. It’s expected to premiere sometime in 2024. The announcement video can be seen in the embed above.
Deadline informs that Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story will tell the story of the brothers, who were convicted in 1996 for the murders of their parents. José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez were fatally shot in their Beverly Hills home in 1989. Erik and Lyle were not the initial suspects in the killings, though police began to investigate their involvement in the months after. Erik eventually confessed to his psychologist Jerome Oziel, who told his mistress, Judalon Smyth. Smyth would become a key witness in the brothers’ trial. During the trial, the brothers said they’d committed the murders out of self defense after a lifetime of abuse from their parents, particularly their father. They were tried separately, and both juries deadlocked, resulting in a mistrial. They were later tried together and found guilty. Erik and Lyle were sentenced to life without parole and remain incarcerated at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in Southern California. The first trial enthralled the nation when it was broadcast on Court TV, and it is often thought to have helped usher in the modern fascination with true crime. A judge later ruled that cameras would not be allowed in the court room for the second trial.
The murder impacted the release of the horror sequel Fright Night Part 2, as José Menendez was going to distribute that film and was even talking about raising funds for a Fright Night 3.
In addition to this season of Monster / Monsters, Netflix also has exclusive access to Lyle and Erik Menendez for a forthcoming documentary feature.
Netflix reminds that the Dahmer season of Monster “reached 1 billion view hours in its first 60 days, making it only one of four series to achieve this milestone”. We’ll have to wait and see if as many viewers are interested in the Lyle and Erik Menendez story.
Are you interested in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.