The hilarious mockumentary film What We Do in the Shadows from Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement is getting a brand new life with a series on FX. While Waititi and Clement aren’t set to star in the new series, they will be working on the show behind the scenes. Waititi will serve as director and executive producer, while Clement will work as a writer on the show.
UPDATE, 10/31 – While the prospect of a What We Do in the Shadows movie without Waititi in the lead may make some fans a little uneasy, the latest glimpse at the show gives us hope that it’ll maintain the vibe and sense of humor of the 2014 mockumentary. Two new teasers hit on (appropriately) Halloween, showing off the sorts of gags we should expect to see when the series premieres. They’re not too far a cry from what we saw and laughed at in the feature. Take a look:
10/8 – Further details on the show are relatively sparse, but at New York Comic Con, they offered some kernels of new info about the series. Those who were in attendance got a sneak preview of the pilot episode, but they still made sure to drop enough fun info to get the rest of the world incredibly excited for the series to premiere.
The Setting
First off, while news has been circulating that the show will be set in New York City, they revealed that the show isn’t set in Manhattan as many assumed. Instead, the show will be set on Staten Island. Much like the film played to the unique quirks of life in Wellington, New Zealand, the FX series will play to the unique quirks of Staten Island living.
As Jemaine Clement explained in the panel, our vampires will journey into Manhattan to interact with the vampires across the river. And while our vampires assumed they were the coolest of all of the NYC vamps, they’ll find that the vampiric community Manhattan is “a bit cooler” than the Staten Island crew.
Who Are the Supernatural Creatures?
So while our vampire protagonists might not be the coolest vampires in New York, what can we expect from them? While Clement and Waititi didn’t reveal a ton, but they did reveal that they are introducing a female vampire to the house, Nadja, named after the title vampire in the 1994 Michael Almereyda movie, Nadja.
And just like the What We Do in the Shadows movie, we can also expect a variety of other kinds of supernatural creatures to show up. Unsurprisingly, Clement and Waititi didn’t give us a supernatural roster, but they did let us know that we’ll be meeting a brand new kind of vampire named Colin who is an “energy” vampire.
The What We Do in the Shadows Cinematic Universe
It was also confirmed that this series isn’t attempting to be an American remake of the film. Instead, the series will be set in the same universe as the movie and the New Zealand spin-off series, Wellington Paranormal. Taika Waititi joked they were working to build a universe to “rival Marvel,” and with two series and a major motion picture, they are well on their way.
The show’s cast is packed with talented actors like Harvey Guillen, Matt Berry, Kayvan Novak, Doug Jones, Beanie Feldstein, Jake McDorman, and Mark Proksch, and if the initial reaction on Twitter from fans in the room for the NYCC panel is any indication, the pilot for What We Do in the Shadows is absolutely hilarious. We’re still waiting for an official premiere date and an official trailer, but this show is shaping up to be one you absolutely can’t miss.
Tell us your thoughts about the new show, and any predictions that you have for the What We Do in the Shadows series in the comments below.
Feature Image: Paramount Pictures
