Spirit Studios examines infamous serial killer Ed Gein for Hearst Networks

Spirit Studios is producing a two-part documentary on notorious serial killer Ed Gein for Hearst Networks EMEA.

Ed Gein: Original Psycho (2 x 60 minutes) that uses generative AI technology to bring to life the reconstructed transcripts of Gein’s original confessions from 1975, with an actor portraying the detective who led the real-life interrogation of Gein.

The series, which was filmed on location in the UK and US, will also feature criminal psychologists, forensic experts and people who personally knew Gein who lay out the origins of the man whose life would inspire fictional killers in Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Silence of the Lambs.

The series will also detail the grisly discoveries police made inside his Wisconsin farmhouse and the psychological investigation that followed.

Spirit’s head of scripted Martin Sadofski produces with co-founder and creative director Matt Campion directing. The doc will TX on Hearst Networks channel Crime + Investigation UK this autumn. International distribution will be handled by BossaNova Media.

Kelly Hornsby, head of acquisitions at Hearst Networks EMEA, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Spirit Studios and BossaNova in this two-part special.

“Use of pioneering production techniques and innovative storytelling methods enable us to give an entirely fresh and revelatory insight into the life and times of one of America’s most infamous killers.”

Campion said that the doc is “not just another retelling” of Gein’s story, rather it is an “invitation into the fractured mind of Ed Gein, told in a way that’s as immersive as it is unsettling.

“We wanted to create something that pushes the boundaries of true crime storytelling and resonates with a global audience.”

Claire Runham, head of acquisitions at BossaNova, added that Ed Gein: Original Psycho marks the distributor’s first collaboration with Spirit.

“Both Spirit and BossaNova have a strong track record in the true crime genre, making this partnership all the more meaningful as we join forces to deliver programmes that are disturbingly authentic,” she said.

“Ed Gein: Original Psycho will bring viewers face to face with one of history’s most notorious killers - the man whose crimes inspired some of Hollywood’s most iconic and terrifying horror films. With the third series of Netflix’s Monster franchise coming up, featuring Charlie Hunnam as Gein, we’re anticipating major buzz around the films and for them to make waves internationally.”