'The Strain': Guillermo Del Toro Talks About Why The New FX Show Is Different From Other Vampire Series
Supernatural shows about vampires are nothing new -- but that will all change when “The Strain” premieres on FX on July 13.
Legendary director, screenwriter, producer and novelist Guillermo del Toro is taking over the small screen this summer with a new breed of vampires in “The Strain.” Based off the book of the same name by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan, the new FX series is set to change the way viewers look at deadly supernatural creatures.
International Business Times spoke to del Toro on the red carpet of “The Strain” premiere at the ATX Television Festival in Austin, Texas. The executive producer, writer and director opened up about what sets the series apart, and why it’s the perfect show for summer.
“We are not trying to make a romantic figure of the vampire,” del Toro revealed. “The history and mythology of them is completely new. The way they feed is very brutal.”
In today’s world, vampires are mainly interpreted in film and TV as dead humans who have fangs and need to feed on blood to survive. According to del Toro, his vampires are more of a “parasitic monster” -- a creature who is “truly unholy, brutal an unstoppable.” And while that seems enough to fill a series, “The Strain” plans on introducing a new origin, mythology and reinterpretation of the “classic vampire.”
While the biology and science of the series will set it apart from shows like “True Blood,” viewers can still expect blood to spill. However, that too will be explored in a different light.
“It’s not that it’s gory, per se. I would use the word brutal, because it’s really, really shocking when one of the feedings happen,” Guillermo del Toro explained. “There is a couple of scenes where the way the vampire disposes of a victim, if they don’t want the victim to live, to come back, is very brutal.”
[We know what scene he is referring to and it’s on the same insane level as a recent ‘Game of Thrones’ death.]
So, why should you be tuning in this summer to watch “The Strain”?
“I think that in my opinion a good show that is driven by horror has character, science, drama, is fast paced, fun and engaging,” del Toro said of his new show. “There is always room for that.”
You can catch “The Strain” when it premieres on FX on July 13 at 10 p.m. EDT.
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