My second most-anticipated new series of 2014 (after HBO’s True Detective, which lands this Sunday) is FX’s The Strain, a modern-day vampire thriller based on the trilogy by horror maestro Guillermo del Toro and bestselling novelist Chuck Hogan.
The show, which is set to begin its thirteen-episode first season in July, will follow a group of Center for Disease Control employees, led by Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (House of Cards‘ Corey Stoll), who investigate a vampiric virus devastating New York City. Today, Yahoo! TV has unveiled two exclusive images from the show, which you can check out below:
While there’s not too much to say about the first image, which finds two CDC employees fully decked out in hazmat suits, about to deal with infected civilians, the second image reveals the appearances of two main characters, Goodweather and biochemist Nora Martinez (Mia Maestro), who becomes an unlikely warrior against the vampires as the strain continues to spread.
Though the shock of seeing Stoll with a full head of hair may hit some House of Cards fans hard, the actor is undoubtedly a great choice to lead The Strain. As Rep. Peter Russo on the Netflix political drama, he won the admiration of critics and fans alike, with many naming him as the single most unfair snub of the Emmy nominations this year.
Small-screen horror has been booming in recent years with hit shows like FX’s American Horror Story, NBC’s Hannibal and AMC’s The Walking Dead, and del Toro is widely considered to be one of the most talented directors working in the genre today, so expectations are understandably high for The Strain. Del Toro will direct the pilot, which he co-wrote with Hogan, then step back into an executive producing role, allowing Lost‘s Carlton Cuse to serve as showrunner.
The official plot synopsis for The Strain reads as follows:
“The Strain” is a high concept thriller that tells the story of Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (Corey 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.
In addition to Stoll and Maestro, The Strain will star David Bradley, Sean Astin, Kevin Durand, Natalie Brown, Ben Hyland, Jonathan Hyde, Richard Sammel, Robert Maillet, Jack Kesy, Ben Hyland, and Miguel Gomez
Are you excited to see Del Toro’s vampire epic unfold on the small screen? Sound off in the comments section!
The Strain will debut on FX sometime in July this year.
