Jeffrey Dahmer was one of America’s most notorious serial killers who, in 1992, was convicted of 15 murders and sentenced to live out the rest of his life in prison after a 13-year killing spree.
Now, after the success of Netflix series Ratched, Ryan Murphy and his long-time collaborator, Ian Brennan, are developing Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, a limited series about the notorious serial killer.
According to Deadline, who first broke the news, the series has been greenlighted with Oscar-nominated actor Richard Jenkins (Kajillionaire) already signed on to star. Carl Franklin (Mindhunter) will also join Jenkins in the show.
Monster will chronicle the story of Dahmer and will largely be told from the point of view of his victims. It will also look into the police incompetence and apathy that allowed him to continue his spree, after at least 10 instances saw him almost apprehended but set free.
The outlet is also reporting that the series will touch on “white privilege” due to the fact “Dahmer, a clean-cut, good-looking white guy” was given free passes by both law enforcement and judges.
Jenkins will play Dahmer’s father Lionel, a chemist, who was the one who showed his son how to bleach and preserve animal bones when he was a child — a technique he would ultimately use on his victims.
So far, Dahmer himself has not been cast, however, a nationwide search in the US is underway. Similarly, they are looking for a woman to play Glenda Cleveland, Dahmer’s neighbour who tried to warn the police about his behaviour.
Dahmer was known as the Milwaukee Cannibal or the Milwaukee Monster who murdered and dismembered 17 men and boys from 1978-1991. Most of the men were persons of colour and some were even underage.
On top of the heinous crimes, the murders also involved necrophilia (sexual activity with a corpse), cannibalism (eating of human flesh) and the preservation of body parts.
Murphy and Brennan previously collaborated on Hollywood, The Politician, Glee and Scream Queens.