FX has unveiled a trailer for The Shards, the upcoming Ryan Murphy-produced drama based on Bret Easton Ellis‘ 2023 novel, offering a glimpse into a world of wealth, privilege, sex, drugs, and brutal murder. The series premieres with its first two episodes on August 5 on FX and Hulu, and you can watch the trailer in the embed above.
Set in a reimagined Los Angeles of 1981, The Shards follows Bret (Igby Rigney), a 17-year-old version of Bret Easton Ellis during his senior year at an elite prep school. His seemingly glamorous world begins to unravel when enigmatic transfer student Robert Mallory (Homer Gere) arrives just as a string of grisly murders terrorizes the San Fernando Valley. As Bret becomes convinced that Robert is hiding something sinister, he struggles to persuade his friends that the newcomer may be connected to the notorious serial killer known as The Trawler. The trailer leans heavily into psychological paranoia, with glamorous parties, reckless excess, and mounting violence colliding as the killer appears to move ever closer to Bret’s privileged social circle.
The cast also includes Kaia Gerber as Susan Reynolds, Hayes Warner as Debbie Schaffer, Graham Campbell as Thom Wright, Wes Bentley as Terry Schaffer, Evan Rachel Wood as Liz Schaffer, and Jordan Roth as Steven Reinhardt.
Murphy co-created the series alongside Ellis, who adapted his own novel for television. Both serve as executive producers with Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Eric Kovtun, Scott Robertson, Nissa Diederich, Tanase Popa, Nick Hall, Michael Uppendahl, Max Winkler, Kathleen McCaffrey, and Brian Young. The series is produced by 20th Television in association with Ryan Murphy Television.
The project has had a long road to the screen. Before landing at FX, The Shards was previously in development at HBO, where Luca Guadagnino (Challengers) and Kristoffer Borgli (Dream Scenario) were both attached at different points to direct. It was rumored that Jacob Elordi was being considered for a lead role before the project stalled over creative differences.
FX’s version is directed by Max Winkler, a Murphy collaborator whose credits include episodes of American Horror Story, The Watcher, Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, Monster: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, Grotesquerie, and Monster: The Ed Gein Story.
Originally released as a serialized audiobook through Ellis’ Patreon in 2020 before being published as a novel in 2023, The Shards has become one of the author’s most acclaimed recent works. Mixing coming-of-age drama, psychological suspense, and serial killer mystery, the story blends autobiographical elements with fiction to create one of Ellis’ darkest and most personal narratives.
What did you think of The Shards trailer? Will you be checking out the series when it premieres on FX and Hulu on August 5? Let us know in the comments.
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