After Evan Peters' depiction of Jeffrey Dahmer captured the cultural zeitgeist in 2022, Ryan Murphy's Monster returns with a second season entitled Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menedez Story. Monster season 1 chronicled the life and crimes of notorious American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, and through Ryan Murphy's signature style, attempted to find the man behind the titular monster. Though plenty of media has covered the high-profile case, the Netflix series was the first to approach the story from a truly cinematic angle.

Although Netflix's Monster has been mired in controversy, its immense popularity has led the streamer to carry it forward with a double renewal for seasons 2 and 3. The serial killer subject of season 1 was wrapped up by the final episode, and season 2 of Monster will focus on an entirely different chapter of American true crime history -- the Menedez brothers' murder case. Continuing to capture the imaginations of true crime fans around all the world, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez story can capture the nuance without all of season 1's controversy.

The Latest Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story News

After several short teasers merely hinted at what was to come, the latest news comes in the form of a full trailer for Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. Opening with the brutal murder of their parents, the trailer then follows the brothers as they deal with the immediate consequences of their actions. Haunted by guilt but also enjoying their lavish lifestyle, the brothers vacillate between extreme levels of joy and sorrow. The trailer also shows them in custody and offers brief glimpses of the decade-defining trial that would grip the 1990s.

Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story Release Date

Netflix Promised The Season In 2024

The Monster season 2 teaser released by Netflix revealed that the Lyle and Erik Menendez story should hit the screen sometime in 2024. With Ryan Murphy's other shows like American Horror Story favoring fall releases nearing Halloween, it makes sense that Netflix scheduled Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story to debut on Thursday, September 19, 2024.

It is unclear how the WGA and SAG/AFTRA strikes affected Monster season 2.

Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story

A Star-Studded Cast For The True Crime Series' Sophomore Season

The Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story cast began to take shape with Cooper Koch and Nicholas Alexander Chavez cast to play Erik and Lyle Menendez, respectively. Adding to the star power of the season, Javier Bardem has been cast as Lyle and Erik's father and eventual victim, José Menendez, and Chloë Sevigny also s the cast as his wife Kitty.

The rest of the ensemble was revealed in February 2024 with the announcement of a notable real-life figure, Dr. Jerome Oziel, being played by Dallas Roberts. Dr. Oziel was Erik's psychiatrist in the aftermath of the murders and was surrounded in controversy due to his involvement in the case. ing Roberts is Jason Butler Harner as Det. Les Zoeller, the seasoned Los Angeles cop who was in charge of the Menendez murder investigation.

The full cast of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story includes:

Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story Plot Details

Erik and Lyle Menendez Murders Explained

The two trials of Lyle and Erik Menendez will assuredly be a focal point of Monster season 2, as they were widely publicized.

On August 20th, 1989, wealthy corporate executive José Menendez and his wife Kitty were murdered by their sons Erik and Lyle in the den of their Beverly Hills home. José was shot six times, while Kitty was shot ten. Lyle called the police, claiming that he and his brother were out and came home to find their parents murdered. Erik confessed the murder to his therapist, Dr. Jerome Oziel, and since the police were already building a case against Lyle and Erik Menendez, Lyle was arrested on March 8th, 1990 and Erik turned himself in three days later.

The two trials of Lyle and Erik Menendez will assuredly be a focal point of Monster season 2, as they were widely publicized. While the brothers hired Robert Shapiro first, defense attorney Leslie Abramson will be the main event. Her case hinged on the Menendez brothers' allegations that they killed their parents due to life-long emotional, physical, and sexual abuse at the hands of their father José. The brothers claimed they threatened to out their parents, and out of fear that their parents would kill them first, they shot them.

The first trial of Lyle and Erik Menendez ended in a hung jury, due to their tearful testimonies of sexual abuse at the ages of 6 and 8, as well as compelling evidence regarding José's character from defense witnesses. For whatever reason, Abramson wasn't able to persuade the second jury it was a crime of self-defense. Therefore, Monster season 2 will see the second trial's results being first-degree murder charges for the Menendez brothers, resulting in a conviction of life without parole for both brothers.

Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story Trailer

Watch The Teasers Below

The Monster season 2 teaser released by Netflix doesn't include any images. It does however, display the date and location of the crime before launching into Lyle Menendez's real-life 911 call to the police. In the call, Lyle states that someone killed his parents and confirms that they were shot. When asked what happened, he states he didn't hear anything, and he just came home. When he hangs up with the 911 operator, the title Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story appears on the screen, along with the ominous 2024 release confirmation.

In August 2024, another teaser was released by Netflix that also confirmed the September release date for Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. Though just as secretive as its predecessor, the second teaser shows the brothers as they return home with guns in hand and begin to commit the murders at the heart of the series. The trailer then ends with the release date displayed against a black backdrop.

Not long after the second teaser was released, Netflix debuted another creepy trailer for Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. In the teaser, the Menendez family awkwardly poses for pictures while audio of Kitty asking her husband about his relationship with the boys plays underneath. Then, the trailer shows Lyle and Erik embrace in a black void as gunshots are heard and blood splatters on their faces.

After a slew of brief teasers merely hinted at the full story, Netflix finally released a full trailer for Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story in September 2024. Opening with the gruesome murder, the trailer then catches up with the brothers as they live out their last few months of freedom. Caught between violent mood swings from joy to remorse, the brothers live a lavish life as they try to convince themselves that what they did was right. The trailer also show's them in custody, and offers brief looks at their landmark trials.