EXCLUSIVE: American serial killer Ed Gein is the subject of Netflix’s latest season of Monster, and he’s now at the center of a two-part docuseries for Hearst Networks EMEA.
Ed Gein: Original Psycho will bring Hearst together with UK producer Spirit Studios and Paul Heaney’s BossaNova, with the trio acting as co-producers. Spirit’s Matt Campion is directing and Martin Sadofski producing, and the series will run on Hearst’s Crime+Investigation channel. BossaNova will have international sales rights.
The series will look into the mind of the twisted killer, who was among the inspirations behind Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Silence of the Lambs. Having lived life as a lonely Wisconsin farmer, he became America’s first famous serial killer, known as “the Butcher of Plainfield” and “the Plainfield Ghoul,” and is being played by Charlie Hunnam in Netflix’s third season of Ryan Murphy drama Monster, which launches later this year.
Using reconstructed transcripts of Gein’s original confessions from November 1957, Original Psycho will use generative AI to portray him and actor performance for the detective who led the real-life interrogation.
Filming is taking place on location in the UK and U.S., and features psychologists, forensic experts, and those who knew Gein personally. As the show reveals the chilling discoveries police made inside his farmhouse, producers say the “line between documentary and horror becomes blurred.”
“This is not just another retelling of a notorious case – it’s an invitation into the fractured mind of Ed Gein, told in a way that’s as immersive as it is unsettling,” said Spirit Creative Director and co-founder Campion. “We wanted to create something that pushes the boundaries of true crime storytelling and resonates with a global audience.”
The shape of the production sees Hearst investing to become a co-producer on the production, effectively making it the anchor commissioner. BossaNova has also paid into the budget. Both are co-producers alongside Spirit.
“We’re delighted to be partnering with Spirit Studios and BossaNova in this two-part special for Crime+Investigation UK,” said Kelly Hornsby, Hearst Networks EMEA’s Head of Acquisitions. “Use of pioneering production techniques and innovative storytelling methods, enable us to give an entirely fresh and revelatory insight into the life and times of one of America’s most infamous killers”.
“Both Spirit and BossaNova have a strong track record in the true crime genre, making this partnership all the more meaningful as we join forces to deliver programmes that are disturbingly authentic,” said BossaNova Head of Acquisitions Claire Runham.
“Ed Gein: Original Psycho will bring viewers face to face with one of history’s most notorious killers – the man whose crimes inspired some of Hollywood’s most iconic and terrifying horror films. With the third season of Netflix’s Monster franchise coming up, featuring Charlie Hunnam as Gein, we’re anticipating major buzz around the films and for them to make waves internationally.”
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