FX is closing in on a pilot deal for an adaptation of Guillermo del Toro’s vampire novel trilogy The Strain. The network is in final talks for a pilot order, with the understanding that it would most likely be fast-tracked to series.
Carlton Cuse (Lost) has signed on to executive produce and serve as showrunner if the series is picked up. Guillermo del Toro will co-write the pilot script with Chuck Hogan, who co-authored the novel trilogy which debuted in 2009.
If a deal is finalized, it will be the first time that FX has ordered a pilot based solely on the strength of a pitch. Cinemax and Starz were also vying for the project. The producers are eyeing to start shooting next fall in Toronto, if everything comes together.
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The novels put a much different spin on the vampire genre, as opposed to those we have seen in theaters as of late. The story centers on a vampire epidemic that hits the streets of New York City, where a CDC specialist and a former professor try to combat this viral vampire strain. Humans can be infected by a vampire bite and also through a “capilary worm” which can be inserted through bodily orifices or open wounds. These nightwalkers also come equipped with a probiscis, a retractable stinger underneath the tongue that can extend outward six feet from the mouth.
