A&E has won the rights to adapt the novel Let the Right One In by Swedish author John Ajvide Lindqvist, on which the 2008 Swedish film of the same name was based, for television. And the new show will be brought to us by… the showrunner of Teen Wolf?
That’s right, Teen Wolf showrunner, Jeff Davis, along with actor/screenwriter Brandon Boyce will be adapting this story for television, and the project is currently in the development stage. It tells the story of a bullied boy who befriends a young girl who turns out to be a vampire. When a series of strange murders start happening, it attracts the attention of a federal marshal with a mysterious past.
This show isn’t the first American adaptation this story has had. There was a 2010 American film adaptation with Chloe Grace Moretz as the vampire and Kodi Smit-McPhee as the boy. Let the Right One In has also had a stage adaptation in Scotland. People just can’t get enough of this story.
I actually think that television is a perfect medium for Let the Right One In, as the original Swedish film works wonders with a slower-paced story. Let the Right One In is primarily character-driven, and watching the relationship between these two children evolve over the course of a season, or two, or more makes a lot of sense; but as with any other American adaptation of a European story, I have my reservations. The 2010 film was fine, but it lacked the depth of the original film, and the law enforcement element of the story was too big and brash and in-your-face (in other words, very American.) I suppose that would be appropriate for an American telvision adaptation, and yet I also feel like there are plenty of American viewers who’d appreciate a different perspective on their TVs every once in a while.
I know there are tons of Teen Wolf fans out there, but my fear is that this adaptation could end up being a little too slick. Then again, A&E has done a great job with Bates Motel, so there might be hope after all! What do you think? Are you excited to give Let the Right One In a try?
(via The Hollywood Reporter)
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