FX has set an Aug. 5 premiere date for The Shards, Ryan Murphy’s television adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ bestselling novel, bringing the author’s dark coming-of-age thriller to the screen after years of development.
Set in Los Angeles in 1981, the psychological thriller centers on Bret, played by Igby Rigney, an aspiring writer navigating his final year at an elite prep school. His tightly knit social circle is disrupted by the arrival of enigmatic transfer student Robert Mallory, portrayed by Homer Gere, whose appearance coincides with a series of murders committed by a serial killer known as The Trawler. The story explores themes of obsession, jealousy, sexuality and the darker undercurrents beneath affluent teenage life.
The series also stars Kaia Gerber, Hayes Warner and Graham Campbell as members of Bret’s close-knit social circle, while Wes Bentley, Evan Rachel Wood and Jordan Roth portray adults whose influence shapes the story’s darker themes. FX describes the drama as an exploration of identity, jealousy, obsession and the hidden dangers beneath the surface of affluent adolescence.
Produced by 20th Television and Ryan Murphy Productions, The Shards is executive produced by Murphy, Ellis, Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson and several other collaborators. The series will debut on FX and Hulu in the United States and stream internationally on Disney+.
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