Monster – The Jeffrey Dahmer Story: Ryan Murphy to produce Netflix series about notorious serial killer

Murphy’s series is expected to explore the police failings and aspects of white privilege that allowed Dahmer to continue his murder spree for so long

Ryan Murphy will explore the story of notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in his next project.  

Deadline reports that Netflix has greenlit Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, a limited series created by Murphy and his frequent collaborator Ian Brennan.

Oscar nominee Richard Jenkins (The Shape of Water) is being lined up to star as Dahmer’s father, while showrunners are currently looking for an actor to cast as Dahmer himself.  

Named by the media as the Milwaukee Cannibal or the Milwaukee Monster, Dahmer murdered 17 men and boys between 1978 to 1991. Many of the killings involved necrophilia, cannibalism, and the preservation of body parts.

After being convicted of 16 murders, a 34-year-old Dahmer was beaten to death by another inmate in 1994.

A number of films and documentaries have been made about Dahmer, who has been portrayed by actors including Jeremy Renner, Ross Lynch and Carl Crew.

Monster will apparently be told predominantly from the perspective of Dahmer’s victims, as well as his neighbour Glenda Cleveland, who repeatedly tried to alert law officials about Dahmer’s erratic behaviour.

It will explore the police failings and lack of compassion that allowed Dahmer to continue his murder spree, until he was finally arrested in 1991.  

Cleveland first contacted police in 1991 after her daughter and niece told her they had witnessed a teenage boy, Konerak Sinthasomphone, fleeing Dahmer’s apartment.  

She later said in interviews that she believed her being black played a role in the police not taking her calls seriously.  

Murphy’s series will reportedly show at least 10 of the instances where Dahmer was almost caught, but ultimately let go.

Carl Franklin, who directed four episodes of Mindhunter last year, will direct the first episode.  

Production is expected to begin in January next year.

Monster is the latest project to be announced as part of Murphy’s Netflix deal, following limited series including Hollywood, and his films The Boys in the Band, and the forthcoming movie, Prom.  

Murphy is also behind the Netflix/ABC series Ratched, starring Sarah Paulson, and The Politician.  

Read our review of Ratched here.