Netflix has announced that it has renewed Monster and The Watcher. Both hailing from Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, the true-crime dramas debuted within weeks of each other. Monster, subtitled The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, starred Evan Peters in the lead role. The Watcher, meanwhile, brought together an impressive ensemble to tell the story of a couple that starts getting anonymous threatening letters upon moving to a new and expensive home. The adaptations of true stories proved to be divisive, as there were questions about whether the narratives unintentionally glamorized or otherwise trivialized traumatic real events.
Still despite several controversies surrounding Dahmer, and despite the real Watcher couple saying they wouldn't watch the Netflix show, both proved to be a hit with audiences. Dahmer became Netflix's second most-watched English language series, gaining 934 million hours of viewing worldwide, according to the streamer's data. The Watcher, meanwhile, has earned 341 million hours in the 18 days after its debut. Now, boosted by those numbers, Monster and The Watcher will return — albeit with a twist.
According to THR, both The Watcher and Monster have been renewed. In the case of Monster, it will become an anthology series that will focus on “stories of other monstrous figures who have impacted society.” As for The Watcher season 2, creative plans are being kept under wraps. So, it's unclear whether the same story will continue or if it will also become more of an anthology.
Is Ryan Murphy Just Doing Another American Horror Story On Netflix?
There has been an increase in the discussion over Murphy's massive deal with Netflix, which he maintains despite his continued close involvement in projects for FX which is owned by Disney. Because of a carve-out in his contract with Netflix, Murphy is free to continue work on American Horror Story, American Crime Story, and Feud. That portfolio has even expanded while Murphy has been at Netflix, now including the announced American Love Story and American Sports Story spinoffs. All of this has occurred as Murphy's previous scripted Netflix series, including The Politician, Ratched, Halston, and Hollywood, haven't had the same cultural impact as his established FX brands.
At one point, there were even murmurs that Murphy may leave Netflix when his deal expired. For now, however, with two verifiable successes under his belt, it seems that he'll keep on working with the streaming service by doubling down on what has worked for him elsewhere: campy horror, murderers, and the well-known cast that play the roles.