He might be a household name now, what with the acclaim of “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” and “Thor: Ragnarok” and the massive anticipation for “Jojo Rabbit,” but in 2014, Taika Waititi was hardly known outside of his native New Zealand. That is, before he and Flight of the Conchords singer Jemaine Clement more subtly announced themselves to the world with the vampire mockumentary “What We Do In The Shadows.”
Telling the story of four vampires living in a flat in Wellington, Waititi and Clement’s offbeat comedy garnered universal acclaim and became something of an instant cult classic when it was released. Now, after Clement (“Moana,” “Legion”) and Waititi’s recent successes, FX Networks has picked up a series based on the film. You can watch the new trailer for the show and read the synopsis below.
Based on the classic cult film of the same name, FX presents its new vampire comedy What We Do in the Shadows. Set in Staten Island, What We Do in the Shadows follows three vampires who have been roommates for hundreds and hundreds of years.
It’s unclear whether or not this new show will take place in the same universe as the original film, which also includes the phenomenal spin-off series “Wellington Paranormal” and the as-of-yet in development “We’re Wolves,” both based on side characters from the film. Either way, with Clement, Waititi, and accomplished producer Paul Simms working behind the scenes, there’s no doubt the series will feature the same unique brand of humor as the original.
The series is set to star Kayvan Novak (“Fonejacker”) as Nandor, Harvey Guillen (“The Internship” as Guillermo, Matt Berry (“Toast of London”) as Lazslo, and Natasia Demetriou (“Stath Lets Flats”) as Nadja. Interesting, despite the shift in location to New York, three out of the four main actors on the show are British. Knowing the characters’ centuries-long ages and Waititi and Clement’s detail-oriented comedy, this may well be an intentional joke.
‘What We Do In The Shadows‘ will premiere on FX in Spring 2019. Here’s the first teaser: