Netflix has ordered two additional installments of “Monster,” the true crime anthology series that began with an account of Jeffrey Dahmer (portrayed by Evan Peters), as well as renewed “The Watcher,” based on the real-life stalking of an East Coast nuclear family. The news comes amid creator and executive producer Ryan Murphy’s domination of the Netflix Top 10 list since both shows’ premieres.
“Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” has racked up 934 million viewing hours as of Nov. 1, and is projected by the platform to top a billion in the coming weeks. It is the second most popular English-language TV season on Netflix behind only “Stranger Things 4.” The limited series-turned-anthology show also broke a Nielsen record as the seventh most viewed streaming program in the U.S. in a single week.
From Murphy and his longtime collaborator Ian Brennan, “Dahmer” explores the notorious serial killer of the same name between 1978 and 1991. While the embattled and extremely popular series has touted its focus on victims’ stories, it has faced immense backlash from the families depicted in the show and audiences alike for sensationalizing violence. Future installments of “Monster” will tell the stories of other “monstrous figures who have impacted society,” per Netflix.
At the same time, Netflix is renewing Murphy, Brennan and Eric Newman’s real-estate thriller “The Watcher,” which takes its name after a 2018 New York Magazine article of the same name. Husband and wife Dean (Bobby Cannavale) and Nora Brannock (Naomi Watts) enter a suburban nightmare upon the purchase of their dream home in the idyllic suburb of Westfield, New Jersey, where a cryptic stalker begins terrorizing their family. Mia Farrow, Terry Kinney, Jennifer Coolidge, Richard Kind and Margo Martindale also star in the series. While the series takes creative liberties upon the request of the real-life couple it draws from and the case remains unsolved, Season 2 is ripe for further exploration of the tense dynamic set up between the family and their neighbors.
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“Audiences can’t take their eyes off ‘Monster’ and ‘The Watcher,’” Bela Bajaria, head of global TV at Netflix, said in a statement. “The creative team of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan on Monster along with Eric Newman on ‘The Watcher’ are masterful storytellers who captivated audiences all over the world. The back-to-back force of these two series is due to Ryan’s distinct original voice which created cultural sensations and we are thrilled to continue telling stories in the ‘Monster’ and ‘Watcher’ universes.”
Murphy is currently under a $300 million overall deal with the streamer, which commenced in 2018 and is set to expire next year. The producer-mogul is behind originals “Hollywood,” “Ratched,” “The Politician,” “Halston” and Netflix’s previously acquired FX drama “Pose.”
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