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Is Sarah Paulson coming to Monster season 4? This is what we know about her possible role

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"Actress Sarah Paulson with a concerned or shocked expression and a bleeding wound on her forehead, dressed in a light brown coat, in a scene outside."

Although ‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story’ was not the success the creators had hoped for, they are not giving up yet. The focus is now on season 4, with Lizzie Borden as the centerpiece. And now that filming has begun, more and more details are coming to light. The most striking? Borden is not the only female serial killer we will see. Aileen Wuornos, the queen of serial killers, is also making her appearance; and there is a good chance that Sarah Paulson will play her. We must admit: the creators know how to make us curious again.

What can we expect from Sarah Paulson in ‘Monster’ season 4?

As we now know, the focus of ‘Monster’ season 4 is on Lizzie Borden. She was accused of murdering her father and stepmother with an axe, although that was never really proven. The fact that Aileen Wuornos will also play a role in this story is quite remarkable. Wuornos was born years after Borden died; there has never been a real connection between the two. So what can we expect? A glimpse into the influence these women had on each other, and on how we view them, and other female serial killers. A bit like we also saw how Ed Gein much impact had on other murderers and on society. So there is a good chance that Sarah Paulson will not play a very large role in the series. Somewhere a shame, of course, every minute of screen time from this iconic actress is more than welcome. But with such a special character as Aileen Wuornos, it will be interesting anyway.

A composite image about the Netflix season of 'Monster' about Lizzie Borden. On the left is actress Ella Beatty, with long brown hair and a black halter dress, on a red carpet. In the middle is a grainy, black-and-white image of the historical figure Lizzie Borden. On the right is Ella Beatty (as Lizzie Borden, in a light, old-fashioned dress) next to actor Charlie Hunnam (who plays Andrew Borden, the father). The image refers to the fourth season of the anthology series, which focuses on Lizzie Borden, who was accused of murdering her father and stepmother.

Who was Aileen Wuornos? The story of the queen of serial killers

Aileen Wuornos was born on February 29, 1956, in Rochester, Michigan. She never knew her biological father and her mother abandoned her at the age of four. She was adopted by her grandparents, but they did not take care of her; physical and sexual abuse was her daily life. When her grandmother died and her grandfather could no longer care for her, she was thrown out. Aileen hitchhiked to Florida and made money through sex work and petty crimes. From late 1989 to the fall of 1990, she murdered seven clients; according to her, in self-defense, because the men had attempted to rape her. In 1992, she was sentenced to death for six murders and, after ten years on death row, executed in 2002.

Aileen Wuornos in the media: the story that keeps drawing attention

Even the most notorious serial killers cannot escape our shared true crime obsession. The story of Aileen Wuornos has been told countless times. In books, poems, songs, films, series, and even an opera, she has been central. The most famous adaptation is probably that in the film ‘Monster’ (2003); coincidence does not exist with such a title, right? The film was a mega success and earned lead actress Charlize Theron almost every film award available, with her Oscar for Best Actress being the absolute highlight. Even today, Wuornos’ story still captivates us. Last month, the documentary ‘Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers’ was released on Netflix, and it was hard to knock it out of the top ten. The story remains intense, and a new look into ‘Monster’ 4 certainly does not feel unnecessary.

Alt text for "MONSTER_S4_GLAM_CHARLIE_ELLA_Seamless_00257_FINAL.jpg": A formal, dark-toned promotional photo for the 'Monster' season about Lizzie Borden. The photo shows actress Ella Beatty (who plays Lizzie Borden) and actor Charlie Hunnam (who plays Andrew Borden). Ella Beatty is on the left in a light, cream-colored 19th-century style dress with lace details and a black belt, and has her hand on Charlie Hunnam's shoulder. Charlie Hunnam is on the right in a dark, open shirt with his hair slicked back. Both are looking seriously at the camera.

Sarah Paulson x Ryan Murphy: this duo is unstoppable

Never change a winning team; that thought must have crossed Monster creator Ryan Murphy's mind as well. Who can I rely on? Who will hopefully make this season a success? For Murphy, there can only be one person: Sarah Paulson. Their collaborations are now too many to count and go back more than 20 years. It all started in 2004 when Paulson had a guest role in the series ‘Nip/Tuck’. Then it took off with ‘American Horror Story’ (2011); the actress was in almost every season and won multiple Emmys for it. They also collaborated for ‘American Crime Story’ (2016), ‘Feud’ (2017), and ‘Ratched’ (2020). Most recently, they worked together for the drama series ‘All's Fair’. That may not have been such a hit, but Paulson enjoyed her time on set and especially loved her time in the ‘Kardashian’ entourage; and we totally get that. Aside from this small miss, almost all their collaborations have been a great success. So it’s not surprising that Murphy has reached out to Paulson again. Honestly, we would do the same.

When will there be more about Monster 4 and Sarah Paulson?

The casting of Sarah Paulson in ‘Monster’ season 4 is not 100 percent certain yet, but according to Variety she is in the final negotiations, and it won't be long now. The series is currently in the making, and with a planned release next year, decisions really need to be made now. There is not yet an exact date when we can start binging again, but if we look at the previous seasons, we can expect September/October 2026. Slowly but surely, more details will come to light, and as soon as we know more, we will share that immediately. To be continued.

Images: Netflix