FX has ordered 13 episodes of The Strain from Guillermo del Toro and Carlton Cuse (Lost). The series “focuses on the outbreak of a vampire virus” and is based on the books by del Toro and Chuck Hogan (pictured above).
FX committed around $500,000 to creature effects last year, and FX CEO John Landgraf said in August that the series should have 39 to 65 episodes, so it’s no surprise they ordered the first season. All the same, it good to hear one of the 987 projects in development from del Toro is actually moving forward.
The Strain is set to premiere next July. Unfortunately, one actor from the pilot (John Hurt) will be replaced for the series shooting in Toronto this month. Other actors still set for the series include Cory Stoll (House of Cards) and Kevin Durand (Lost) as the head of a CDC task force and a rat exterminator (respectively) trying to stop a vampire outbreak in New York City. Doug Jones, Sean Astin, Mia Maestro, and Natalie Brown also star.
We’re going to go out on a limb here and predict Doug Jones will be playing a gnarly-looking vampire in heavy creature makeup. It’ll still be less creepy than Nic Cage in Vampire’s Kiss.
(Banner picture via Getty Images.)
