“We’re vampires, we do not put down towels!” If you don’t recognize that quote, let me fill you in. It’s from What We Do in The Shadows, a 2014 mockumentary by Taiki Waititi, whom you may know as the director of Thor: Ragnarok. Ever since its release in 2014, it has become a cult favorite and is possibly the funniest horror-comedy since Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead. The film follows the lives of four vampires who stay together in a suburban flat in Wellington, New Zealand and how they deal with day to day activities in the modern world. Featuring some great deadpan acting, topped with the unmissable New Zealand sense of humor, this movie is a real gem. But wait, if it came out in 2014, why are we talking about it now?
Taika Waititi | Director of What We Do In The Shadows
Fans, rejoice. Finally, we are getting what we have waited for, a What we do in the Shadows TV show. Although this isn’t the first show (there was a spinoff series called Wellington Paranormal), this one is the big fish. FX’s What We Do In The Shadows show is set to premiere on March 27. Season 1 will consist of 10 episodes, of 30 minutes each. Reports have said that the show will follow the same mockumentary approach as Taika Waititi’s original, except this time, the vampires are settled in Staten Island, New York. Obviously, the location was chosen to appeal to the American audiences, but let’s hope it takes nothing away from the comedy, as half the charm of the movie was in the brutally dark New Zealand style-comedy.
FX has given us a lot to talk about, with even the vampire names being released. Nandor the Relentless (Kayvan Novak) is set to be the leader of sorts. The others include Laszlo (Matt Berry), Nadja ( Natasia Demetriou) and Colin Robinson ( Mark Proksch). The remaining cast also includes Harvey Guillen, Doug Jones, Beanie Feldstein, Jake McDorman and Hayden Szeto.
From what we can see in the trailer (which was released back in February), the footage looks amazing. It appears to be pretty similar to the film, take that as you may. Critics who attended early screenings have only sung the praise of the show. In a couple of weeks, we’ll know for ourselves what all the fuss is about. It’s going to be a long two weeks.
