FX has confirmed that its U.S. TV show version of What We Do in the Shadows will premiere sometime in spring 2019. The series is based on Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi's hit vampire mockumentary of the same name, but will feature an all-new setting and characters.

Released in its native New Zealand in 2014 (before it hit U.S. theaters the year after), What We Do in the Shadows revolves around a group of vampires whose struggles to adjust to the challenges of modern life are recorded by a documentary filmmaking crew. Although Waititi has since made the jump to the world of big-budget tentpole filmmaking with Thor: Ragnarok, he remains actively involved in the ongoing expansion of the What We Do in the Shadows brand. In addition to cowriting and producing FX's TV adaptation, Waititi co-created the spinoff series Wellington Paranormal (which debuted last month on Television New Zealand).

Related: Watch the Trailer for Wellington Paranormal

Speaking at the network's Television Critics Association press tour panel, FX head John Landgraf confirmed that the U.S. What We Do in the Shadows TV show will debut next spring. According to IndieWire's Ben Travers, Landgraf further confirmed that the comedy series takes place in New York (specifically "Staten Island and the other boroughs") and will eventually feature several lead characters, though "none of them are from the movie". Per Hanh Nguyen, Landgraf also described the series as being tonally similar to the film, but added that "it has a different time and place".

man in front of mirror that doesn't show his reflection

What We Do in the Shadows season 1 will run for ten episodes, with Clement and Waititi producing alongside their Flight of the Conchords collaborator Paul Simms. The latter has worked with FX before an a producer on Donald Glover's surreal comedy series Atlanta and has served in the past as a writer/producer on the HBO New York-based dramedy TV series Girls and Divorce. Meanwhile, in terms of casting, the What We Do in the Shadows series will feature actors like Doug Jones (The Shape of Water), Beanie Feldstein (Lady Bird), Kayvan Novak (Thunderbirds Are Go), and Matt Berry (Toast of London) in recurring roles.

All in all, What We Do in the Shadows should feel right at home in FX's television lineup. The network has long made its name as being the place to go for offbeat genre TV shows and a supernatural monster comedy series in the style of The Office should fit right in with not only Atlanta, but also Noah Hawley's trippy X-Men adaptation Legion and quirky crime movie-turned TV show Fargo, among other small screen offerings. With both Clement and Waititi involved creatively, the series may yet manage to please fans of the original movie and newcomers to the franchise alike.

MORE: Stephen Merchant Joins Taika Waititi's Jojo Rabbit

What We Do in the Shadows debuts Spring 2019 on FX.

Source: IndieWire [2]