Ryan Murphy is giving insight into the upcoming season of his anthology series, “Monster,” which will explore the infamous case of Lizzie Borden. The acclaimed producer recently explained why he wanted to tell Borden’s story, sharing what drew him to the case and why he believes it continues to captivate audiences more than a century after the murders.
Ryan Murphy, who co-created “Monster” with Ian Brennan, is sharing what prompted him to take on the 133-year-old murder case that involved Lizzie Borden, who was accused of killing his father and stepmother with an axe in 1892.
Past seasons explored the stories of convicted killers Jeffrey Dahmer, the Menendez brothers, and Ed Gein. The fourth season marks a first for the anthology, as Borden was never convicted of the crimes.
In an interview, Murphy said he had a “very deep connection” with Borden’s story because he won first place at his kindergarten’s singing contest with the popular nursery rhyme, which goes, “Lizzie Borden took an axe / And gave her mother forty whacks / When she saw what she had done / She gave her father forty-one.”
“That was the first thing I ever won. So I grew up with that nursery rhyme. I’m from the Midwest. I thought everybody knew that nursery rhyme, and they did not,” Murphy told The Hollywood Reporter.
Ryan Murphy Reveals Other Notorious Women Will Appear In ‘Monster 4’
Although the upcoming season of “Monster” will focus on Borden, Murphy shared that other notorious women will also be explored in the series. “I always wanted to do something about Aileen Wuornos. I’ve always wanted to do something about the Countess Elizabeth Báthory, who Dracula was modeled after,” he shared.
Wuornos was a serial killer who murdered seven men between 1989 and 1990. Countess Báthory, on the other hand, was accused in the early 1600s of killing hundreds of young girls and bathing in their blood to maintain her youth and beauty.
Murphy said “Monster” Season 4 will focus on the “women vs. the system” and pose the question: “What made them do it? Why did they do it, if they did it?”
“That’s what the show is about. And it has three really great ‘monsters’ behind it,” he added.
The Producer Says He Isn’t Glorifying Murderers
All three seasons of “Monster” proved to be streaming successes, though they were not without controversy. Some critics accused Murphy of sensationalizing the cases and exploiting real-life tragedies.
Murphy has accepted that creating shows based on real events comes with controversy. “No matter what you do, it’s going to be controversial. That’s baked into the cake,” he said, adding, “I’m always interested in, not glorifying these characters.”
Early this year, another Murphy project, “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette,” drew criticism from the Kennedy family for the “grotesque display” of “fiction,” as previously reported by The Blast. The two seasons of his other series, “American Crime Story,” which explored the O.J. Simpson case and the murder of Gianni Versace, also caused a stir due to “inaccuracies.”
The Case Of Lizzie Borden
In August 1892, Andrew Borden and his wife, Abby, were discovered brutally murdered with an axe inside their Fall River, Massachusetts home. The only other people present in the house at that time were Andrew’s daughter, Lizzie, and their household help, Bridget Sullivan.
Authorities accused Lizzie of perpetrating the crimes after she allegedly provided inconsistent alibis and set a dress on fire days after the murders. A pharmacist also testified that Lizzie attempted to purchase cyanide one day before the killings, claiming she needed it to clean a cape.
Following a 13-day trial in 1893, Lizzie was acquitted. The all-male jury noted the pieces of evidence were circumstantial, and they couldn’t fathom how a religious woman from upper-class society could commit such horrible crimes. Despite her acquittal, Lizzie lived the rest of her life as a social outcast.
The First Look At ‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’
Netflix released the first look at the upcoming season of “Monster,” sparking excitement among fans. Ella Beatty will star as Lizzie, alongside Charlie Hunnam (Andrew Borden), Rebecca Hall (Lizzie’s stepmother), Vicky Krieps (Bridget Sullivan), and Billie Lourd (Emma Borden).
As Murphy revealed, Krieps will also be portraying Countess Báthory, and longtime collaborator Sarah Paulson will play Wuornos.
“Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story” will premiere on Netflix on September 17.
The Ryan Murphy Shares ‘Deep Connection’ With ‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’ first appeared on The Blast
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