American Psycho author Bret Easton Ellis is officially bringing his latest dark, bloody teenage nightmare to the small screen with “The Shards.” The acclaimed 2023 prep school thriller novel is getting a high-profile television adaptation from creator Ryan Murphy. You know Murphy, he’s the twisted mind behind “American Horror Story.”
Bloody Buckley High
Set in 1981 Los Angeles, the semi-autobiographical tale follows 17-year-old Bret Easton Ellis during his final year of prep school. His golden, privileged world shatters with the arrival of a mysterious, handsome new transfer student named Robert Mallory. Robert’s unsettling presence perfectly coincides with a wave of gruesome local murders committed by a serial killer called The Trawler.
An Elite Ensemble Cast
The series features an incredible mix of seasoned genre veterans and striking new Hollywood breakouts. That includes Igby Rigney (The Fall of the House of Usher) as teenage Bret. Homer Gere—son of screen legend Richard Gere—will portray the deeply unsettling Robert Mallory. Kaia Gerber (Shell), Evan Rachel Wood (Westworld), and “AHS” alum Wes Bentley round out the primary cast.
The Road to Production
Frequent Murphy collaborator Max Winkler is attached to direct the sleek, retro-soaked 20th Television production.
Ellis previously tried to launch the project at HBO with directors Luca Guadagnino and Kristoffer Borgli attached. While that version stalled, Guadagnino is currently busy directing a highly anticipated theatrical remake of American Psycho instead.
Clear your summer schedule for August 5 at 6 p.m. PT. FX and Hulu are ready to school you on terror with “The Shards.”
