Guillermo del Toro’s The Strain gets picked up by FX

Last Updated on July 22, 2021

We've got some awesome news to report today as Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan's "The Strain" has just been picked up by FX who has placed a 13-episode first season order. Hell. Yes. The casting thus far has been spot on as we've seen Corey Stoll, Mia Maestro, Sean Astin, Kevin Durand, Jonathan Hyde, Richard Sammel, Robert Maillet, Jack Kesy, Ben Hyland, Miguel Gomezand and most recently Natalie Brown all land significant roles in the series. Worth noting is that they are recasting Professor Abraham Setrakian, which was previously held by John Hurt. Damn, I was really excited to see Hurt in that role because I thought he was perfectly cast. Let's hope they can reel in another great actor to play the character because he's one of the most important elements to the story.

With Del Toro so heavily involved in the series—he co-wrote and directed the pilot—I'd imagine that they are going to stick pretty close with the source material, which is great news for horror fans. These are the kind of vampires people will actually be scared of and they bring a unique twist to the genre.

The Strain is a high-concept thriller that tells the story of Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (Stoll), the head of the Center for Disease Control Canary Team in New York City. He and his team are called upon 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 itself.

Writer/producer Carlton Cuse says, "Working with visionary filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and the team at FX has been a dream come true for me. Guillermo’s epic, cinematic pilot for The Strain starts a chilling and compelling story that will upend everything you thought you knew about vampires.”

"The Strain" begins production later this month in Toronto and the series is scheduled to premiere in July of 2014 on FX.