ID orders three-part doc series on US serial killer Aileen Wuornos

Unmasking a Monster: Aileen Wuornos is produced by Fremantle-backed Arrow Media

Warner Bros Discovery-owned cablenet Investigation Discovery (ID) has commissioned a three-part docuseries examining the life and crimes of notorious American serial killer Aileen Wuornos.

Unmasking a Monster: Aileen Wuornos is produced by Fremantle-backed Arrow Media and will premiere on ID on September 30, in addition to streaming on HBO Max, in the US.

Wuornos shot and killed seven male clients while working as a prostitute in Florida in 1989 and 1990. She was arrested in 1991 and spent around 10 years on death row before being executed in 2002.

ID said the project “uses advanced digital replication and visual effects techniques to help audiences visualise key moments from Wuornos’ life, presenting these events as they were understood at the time.” It is also made using some scripted recreations, with Morag Peacock playing Wuornos.

“Documentary storytelling has always evolved alongside advances in filmmaking, and by applying cutting-edge technology to the true crime genre we are deepening audiences’ understanding of real events in completely new ways,” said ID president Jason Sarlanis.

“Unmasking a Monster: Aileen Wuornos, we collaborated closely with law enforcement, members of Aileen’s inner circle, a talented cast of actors, and a team of innovative VFX artists to recreate pivotal moments from the case. Every scene was meticulously informed by legal transcripts and firsthand testimony, giving audiences a powerful new way to experience this story.”