Series creator Ryan Murphy has found his two leads for the Monster season 2, dubbed Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story. Set to follow the true-crime story of the Menéndez brothers, the show’s second season will shift its focus onto Joseph Lyle and Erik Menéndez, who were convicted in 1996 for the murder of their parents. Following on from the release 2022’s Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, Netflix has announced that the property would become an anthology series, with plans already in place for Monster season 3.
According to a new report from Deadline, the Monster season 2 has cast relative newcomers Cooper Koch and Nicholas Alexander Chavez as the siblings who are currently serving life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Koch is said to play Erik, while Chavez will portray Lyle. While both actors already have screen credits, such as Koch’s role in the Starz drama Power Book II: Ghost and Chavez’s ongoing tenure as Spencer Cassadine on ABC’s General Hospital, this new casting serves as a boost into major leading roles.
Will Monster Season 2 Avoid The Controversies Of The Jeffrey Dahmer Story?
Released in September 2022, Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story was an unqualified success for Netflix, eventually going on to become the third Netflix series to sur 1 billion views within 60 days of its release. Drawing the sort of viewership records only previously held by the likes of Squid Game and Stranger Things season 4, there is little wonder the streaming giant was quick to turn the once-limited series into an ongoing anthology show.
Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story was not without its fair share of controversies, however, with the real-life families of Dahmer's victims accusing the streaming giant of profiting off their traumatic experiences and taking liberties with the way in which the crimes were depicted. While much of Monster season 1 was focused on the horrific nature of Dahmer’s crimes, season 2’s focus on the Menéndez brothers offers the streamer an opportunity to avoid similar complaints and shift their focus onto the modern justice system.
While prosecutors argued that Lyle and Erik committed their crimes to profit from a multi-million-dollar inheritance, the brothers still maintain they were motivated by years of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. This past May, the pair even launched a petition for a new trial based on evidence that s their claims. With the story still unfolding in real life, Monster season 2 has a unique opportunity to explore the case in a detailed and more nuanced manner.
Source: Deadline