We’re going for a show that’s got the whole “dead but delicious” vibe. FX’s What We Do in the Shadows finally has a full length trailer and a release date after wowing audiences at NYCC this past year. From the minds of Taika Waititi and Jermaine Clement comes yet another mockumentary about vampires trying to live normal lives. They’ve got the same roommate problems we do, after all; rent in NYC isn’t cheap, even for the undead. Even in Staten Island.
The film version of What We Do in the Shadows premiered in 2014 to rave reviews and instant acclaim. A mockumentary about three vampires rooming together, this time in Wellington, it attained cult status and attracted legions of fans. It starred Waititi and Clement; both men wrote and directed the film as well.
The TV series will center on Nandor (Kayvan Novak), a former ruler of the Ottoman Empire who is now tasked with taking over the New World and is doing a terrible, terrible job of it. At his side are Laszlo (Matt Berry) and Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), two bickering lovers. There’s also a brand new kind of vampire in the mix, an energy vampire, who can be summed up as that guy at the office who bores you into an absolute stupor.
This is the best way to continue on What We Do in the Shadows. By keeping the original creative team, who are comedic geniuses, but setting up a show with a new cast of characters and set in a different city is a great way to continue on the universe created in the series, without necessarily rehashing the same beats of the original. We can still have messy roommates, humans not suspecting what is going on with the supernatural, and werewolves (not swearwolves), but in a completely new context.
Most important is that Waititi and Clement are still involved. Without their particular touch, the series wouldn’t work nearly as well. They understand that the humor can’t just be fish out of water; it’s all about the cultural clashes of centuries-old vampires and modern technology and the subtle rules and social norms of vampire culture that would be in place for the characters. Also, they’re excellent with developing habits for the characters that make sense; after all, after a few hundred years, you might also be set in your ways.
It will be interesting to see how the show sustains itself for a possible multi-season run. Will there be enough plot and mystery to keep the stakes low while still carrying a series? Or will it be like It’s Always Sunny and reset itself with every episode? With hype starting to build, it will be exciting to see what the creative team has up their sleeves. Check out the trailer below, and tune in on March 27 to catch the first episode.
(via AV Club, image: FX)
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