Sarah Paulson Set to Play Infamous Killer in ‘Monster’ Season 4 as the Show Broadens Its Focus

Sarah Paulson is teaming up once again with creator Ryan Murphy, this time for the next season of Netflix’s crime anthology series Monster. According to Variety, the actress is close to signing on to play Aileen Wuornos, one of America’s most well-known female serial killers.

The upcoming fourth season will center on Lizzie Borden, who was accused of killing her father and stepmother with an axe in the late 1800s. Filming is already happening in Los Angeles. While Borden’s story is at the heart of the new season, Wuornos’s appearance suggests that the show might explore the wider idea of how society views and connects stories of women who kill.

The main cast for Season 4 includes Ella Beatty as Lizzie Borden, with Charlie Hunnam playing her father, Andrew Jackson Borden. Rebecca Hall will appear as Lizzie’s stepmother, Abby, and Billie Lourd will take on the role of Lizzie’s sister, Emma, according to Variety.

Jessica Barden is set to play actress Nance O’Neill, who was friends with Lizzie, and Vicky Krieps will appear as the family’s maid, Bridget Sullivan.

Aileen Wuornos was convicted of murdering seven men in Florida and was executed in 2002. Her story has been told in several films and documentaries. Charlize Theron famously played Wuornos in the 2003 film Monster, a role that won her an Oscar.

Other actresses, including Peyton List, Jean Smart, and Lily Rabe, have also portrayed Wuornos. Rabe’s version appeared in American Horror Story: Hotel, another Ryan Murphy project.

For Paulson, this marks another chapter in her long creative relationship with Murphy. She has appeared in nearly every season of American Horror Story and earned multiple Emmy nominations for her work. Recently, it was announced that she will return to that series for its upcoming 13th season.