We were lucky enough to be included on a conference call with acclaimed writer and Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro and executive producer Carlton Cuse about their new show for the FX network, The Strain.  This vampire horror series is based on the novels of the same name, authored by del Toro and Chuck Hogan.  The show stars David Bradley as the main character Abraham Setrakian, and premieres officially on Sunday July 13th on the FX network.

When asked about how the series will follow the book, Cuse said the season is structured to run at least 4 seasons, but no more than 5:  “We’re writing the show with an end in sight.  The goal is not to literally translate the book to the show.”   Del Toro said “It was very clear from the start, we had the three books to plunder, that we want the milestones and the characters to be hit.  Like the origin of The Master, which we open book one with, we’re saving that for second season.  And we’re bringing in a set from book two to bookend one of the character’s stories in season one.  It’s a very elastic relationship the show has with the book, and at the same time is very respectful and mindful of the things that will not alienate someone who likes the books.  It should be seamless.”

During the interview Cuse said he had read the novel as a fan, and how excited he was to work with del Toro on this monster centric show, stating of del Toro “he’s one of the most imaginative guys out there, creating creatures and worlds.”  He went on to say how he also jumped at the chance to help turn the vampire genre upside down, and move away from the more stylized romantic notion of the blood suckers, and back to their roots as evil and scary creatures.  Cuse also commented on the differences between producing a suspenseful show for network and now cable tv, saying that FX has allowed he and del Toro to tell their pretty much unadulterated version of “The Strain” on the screen.

Q:  What was the transition like for both of you going from feature to television?

del Toro:  It was similar in many ways, having the chance to adapt the novels to comic book form with Dark Horse.  For me, as a producer/director, it was about having some of the quirks that come with feature films like asking FX to give us a LONG pre production period, so I could really plan out the makeup, creature, and visiual effects in order to bring from the pilot on a BIG scope of the series.  Also trying to do the set pieces and things of that nature on a fiscally responsible budget and managing it was very much the same on the pilot.  I didn’t want to go back on the pilot and do many extra hours, I wanted it to fit into the sandbox.  The pre planning was crucial, the way I approached my storytelling and not sacrificing anything.

Cuse:  It’s been such a great learning experience for me to collaborate with Guillermo.  I think the show has been a really great combo of both our processes, we have a very complimentary set of skills.  I echo what he said, we approached the show in the same ways you would a feature, I think there are inherent limitations in television, often when a show is greenlit for network you go right into production within six weeks, and we simply would not have been able to do what we’ve done with this show, so thanks to FX for that.

Q:  Have you reached that point yet where you’ve gotten a ‘no’ from the network on something?

del Toro:  Well, obviously not yet!  The genre requires you to cross at some point, and it’s almost like a hostage situation where you need to show the audience you’re not kidding.  You have to show you are going to deliver either by atmospheric creepy or visceral punches, hopefully both.  Those things that will make you feel queasy, and unsafe.  It’s that delightful shiver that is required with the genre.

Cuse:  I think that whatever aesthetic limitations that exist in the show are ones that Guillermo and I came up with ourselves.  I mean we have had the full support of FX to make the show we want.  There are these delightfully shocking moments, but there is also a lot more to it than just those.

Q:  You directed the pilot, Guillermo.  Is there any chance you’d come back and direct other episodes further on?

del Toro:  (laughs) It is both with great pleasure and trepidation that I say I want to direct the opening one if there is a second season.  I say trepidation because obviously it is always almost like doing cardio.  Directing tv is like doing cardio, and if you  look at me in any pictures, you KNOW I don’t do cardio.  (laughs) But I think the beauty of the show is we have developed a really good fluid relationship, Carlton, Chuck, myself.  There were times Carlton and I would poke each other during filming with increasingly sick ideas, it is incredibly intense on a daily basis working on a tv series.  As it is, I’ve made it a point to stay obsessively involved with supervising every single one of the VFX [visual effects], makeup effects, the color corrections in the series.  I feel this is all our baby, the three of us, like three men and a baby for vampires.  It would be essential for me to continue to be involved in that way.

Q:  How did you chose your writing staff for this show considering all the elements involved?

Cuse:  The job of putting together a writing staff is something akin to assembling an orchestra.  You need to find people who have different voices, but who all can harmonize together.  First and foremost, I was excited that Chuck Hogan wanted to engage, not just as the co-writer on the books, but as a writer on the show.  I hired these two wonderful writers from Battlestar Galactica, David Weddle and Brad Thompson,  then Regina Corrado who was on Deadwood and Sons of Anarchy, Jennifer Hutchinson who was on Breaking Bad, and a wonderful young writer named Jason Brett Gibson.  So we have this amazing combination of all these writers with different voices and interests, who all brought something really unique to the very complicated and arduous process of adapting a book into a brand new creation.  And I mean there’s lots of new stuff in the show, there are new characters, new situations, and each of these writers really contributed to this process.

del Toro:  In this, I completely relied on Carlton, when the charge of ‘show runner’ is applied, you KNOW who is running the show.  Carlton had the knowledge and the capacity to cast the writer’s room, and the way he thinks it’s appropriate for the show.  Ultimately, he’s the arbiter of that part of the show.  I think we have a great sampler of different disciplines and different points of view into the story that he needs to orchestrate into something seamless.

Q:  The billboards with the eyeball worm.  Did you expect such a reaction?  Did you agree with the decision to swap out some of those billboards?

Cuse:  I think the advertising was bold and imaginative, and clearly not for everyone.  And I think FX does an incredible job marketing their shows, and they wanted to convey the show was edgy and bold and out there.  I certainly understand it may have been too far out there, I personally liked it, but I understand it was necessary for them to make accommodations for some people.

del Toro:  I feel the same way, I think FX has a really great sense of a) who their audience is and b) what their type of advertisement is.  And I mean they’ve produced some pretty extreme and chilling images in the past.  And I think what Carlton says about it being not for everyone, I think the show has many many layers of appeal in my opinion, and the more we go into the season, the more we’ll be able to develop these things.  We do go to territories that are pretty extreme in the first season, I mean we are talking about a biological and viral takeover and a body invasion.  And we are dealing with a fear that is essentially biological invasion, it’s not a knife to slice someone open, when you think about it, it is the concept that is disturbing.  The worm, with the eye, it’s the supposition of those two things together, it’s very powerful and it is the most peaked invasive horror that we explore in the show.

Make sure you tune in to FX this Sunday to see this dark and visceral vampire suspense thriller.