The ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’ Trailer Is Downright Haunting
It’s time to reexamine one of the most infamous murder trials in American history. Ryan Murphy’s next season of Monster will track the Lyle and Erik Menéndez case. In 1989, the young brothers were convicted of murdering their parents, which sparked a national media frenzy. The case was highly televised and covered, similar to Murphy’s last season of Monster, which explored the Jeffrey Dahmer murders. Naturally, the second season of the anthology series has been renamed Monsters.
In the latest trailer for the series, the Menéndez brothers are shown living it up after the murder of their parents, riding around in expensive cars and ordering room service in fancy hotels. Nicholas Alexander Chavez (General Hospital) and Cooper Koch (Power Book II: Ghost) star as Lyle and Erik Menéndez, respectively, while Chloë Sevigny (Feud: Capote vs. the Swans) plays their mother, “Kitty.” Javier Bardem portrays their father, José, who bears a dark family secret. “I need to know what’s going on with you and the boys,” Kitty says to José in the trailer. “I don’t want there to be any more lies between us. I won’t tell anyone.”
The Menéndez brothers are a natural fit for Monster, which, per Deadline, seeks to “tell the stories of monstrous figures who have impacted society.” Keep reading for everything we know about the upcoming series.
What Is Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story About?
Murphy has not revealed exactly which elements of the real-life story he’ll follow, but the show will almost certainly cover the highly publicized trial. As the story goes, Lyle Menéndez told the police that his parents were shot in their Beverly Hills home on August 20, 1989. He and his brother were not initially considered suspects, and they spent the days after their parents’ murder on lavish trips where they dropped loads of money. When they were later placed on trail, many suspected that they were after their father’s inheritance. But when Erik later confessed to his psychologist, Jerome Oziel, a new investigation led to darker secrets about the Menéndez family.
The brothers claimed self-defense at their trial, stating that they were victims of sexual abuse at the hands of their father and feared for their lives. Each brother was initially tried separately, but the jury couldn’t reach a decision in either trial. They were later tried together and sentenced to life in prison without parole at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in southern California—where they remain to this day.
Wildly enough, the Menéndez trial was popular around the same time as O.J. Simpson’s murder trial, the subject of a previous Ryan Murphy miniseries. Coincidentally, Simpson ended up in the cell next to Erik’s following the former NFL star’s infamous car chase. Lyle also used his connections to hook Simpson up with superstar lawyer Johnnie Cochran, who would later represent the celebrity in court.
Who Will Star on Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story?
It looks like Murphy has secured another great ensemble cast. After seeing Chloë Sevigny star as C.Z. Guest on Feud: Capote vs. the Swans, we’re excited to see her take on another complex matriarch. If the trailer is any indication, she has a thorny dynamic with her sons’ father, played by Bardem, who has starred in the likes of Dune: Part Two, Skyfall, and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.
Meanwhile, Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch are relatively new faces in Hollywood. They’ve both picked up a handful of film and television credits, but their turn as Lyle and Erik Menéndez marks their big breaks. Can they pull it off? We certainly think so. Just watch the trailer!
When Will Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Mendez Story Premiere?
The series will hit Netflix on September 19.
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