It was announced a few months ago that Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan’s epic vampire trilogy The Strain was getting a pilot order at FX, now the series gets a 13 episode order commitment from the network as well. Del Toro and Hogan wrote the pilot with Del Toro directing. Del Toro will executive produce the series along with Carlton Cuse who will also serve as writer and showrunner. Read on for more information.
Deadline is reporting, From the onset, when FX landed the project in a bidding war, it hired a full writing staff, with the network committing some $500,000 to creature creation. The Strain now is heading into production on its first season, with the bulk of the scripts already completed and one major casting change.
In the pilot, the role of Professor Abraham Setrakian was played by John Hurt and will now be recast for the rest of the series. Filming is set to begin this month in Toronto for a planned July premiere. According to FX CEO John Landgraf, the plan for the series is to run for 39-65 episodes.
The Strain will co-star Mia Maestro, Sean Astin, Kevin Durand, Natalie Brown, Jonathan Hyde, Richard Sammel, Robert Maillet, Jack Kesy, Ben Hyland, and Miguel Gomez.
“This is an epic story with stunning visuals and remarkable acting,” FX’s Eric Schrier and Nick Grad said. “The Strain totally reimagines and reinvents the genre.”
“The Strain books are near and dear to my heart and now, Chuck and I have the blessing of a partnership with Carlton and FX that holds great promise,” said del Toro.
Plot Synopsis
The Strain is a high-concept thriller that tells the story of Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (Corey Stoll), the head of the Centers for Disease Control Canary Team in New York City. He and his team are called on to investigate a mysterious viral outbreak with hallmarks of an ancient and evil strain of vampirism. As the strain spreads, Eph, his team, and an assembly of everyday New Yorkers wage war for the fate of humanity.
