MGM+ announced today that it has picked up the four-episode true-crime docuseries Psycho: The Lost Tapes of Ed Gein, directed and executive produced by James Buddy Day (Blumhouse’s Compendium of Horror, Fall River). It will premiere on MGM+ in September.
This MGM+ original docuseries follows the horrifying grave robber and serial killer Ed Gein, otherwise known as “The Plainfield Ghoul” and “The Mad Butcher,” whose crimes inspired such iconic films as Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Silence of the Lambs.
For years, filmmakers, journalists, and scholars have tried to unravel the mind of this notorious killer, and with new reveals and never-before-heard recordings, viewers will be transported to late-1950s Middle America and submerged in Gein’s perverse mind. The series explores Gein’s upbringing and twisted relationship with his mother (which famously inspired Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho), his early grave robbing, the murders leading up to his arrest, and the police’s discovery of his terrifying house of horrors – all accompanied by the brand-new revelations revealed in the recordings.
“This gripping and disturbing docuseries shines a light on an infamous chapter in our true-crime history,” said Michael Wright, head of MGM+. “Psycho takes an in-depth look at not only the life of one of the most notorious serial killers of our time, but also explores the impact his crimes had on both the victims and our culture.”
Jill Latiano Howerton and Josh Kunau also serve as executive producers for Roots Productions. Amazon & MGM Studios Distribution will distribute the series internationally.
