The Shards: Everything we know about the Bret Easton Ellis TV show
Bret Easton Ellis could stock a whole bookshelf at the local library, dedicated to dating red flags. For better or worse, though, he’s really good at writing said books, with his 2023 “fever dream” The Shards earning rave reviews. Now, we’ve finally received a first look at the adaptation for screen that’s being led by the writer himself, alongside legendary showrunner Ryan Murphy.
Judging by the first trailer, the show promises just as much sex, drugs, and preppy violence as we’ve come to expect. Below, we’ve gathered everything you need to know so far.
Technically, The Shards began as a series of podcast episodes written and voiced by Ellis, before it was published in 2023. It was his first book in 13 years, and follows his namesake through his senior year at an elite prep school in LA, in 1981. It’s a time of hedonism, but also paranoia, thanks to a mysterious serial killer dubbed The Trawler and rumours of a Satanic cult at large.
The film’s main character has a name with the author, and several details about Ellis’s upbringing are true to life. Presumably, that’s where the similarities end since the film takes several gory and controversial turns, especially after the arrival of a suspicious new student, Robert Mallory. However, the accuracy of the auto-fiction is left up for debate, and Ellis himself has leaned into the ambiguity.
FX’s adaptation of The Shards credits Bret Easton Ellis and Ryan Murphy as co-creators. The much-lauded American Horror Story and Monster showrunner is also cited as the director for two of the ten episodes in the series. Other director credits include Michal Uppendahl (AHS, Mad Men).
The Wuthering Heights star was reported to be in talks for a role in The Shards back in 2023 (likely as the dark and lust-inducing Robert…), but it ultimately didn’t pan out. Now, Igby Rigney is stepping into Ellis’s shoes as the narrating character, alongside Homer Gere as Robert. Kaia Gerber is also on board as Susan Reynolds, with Debbie Schaffer (Hayes Warner) and Thom Wright (Graham Campbell) rounding out Bret’s select social circle. On the periphery of the teen drama are Schaffer’s parents, successful movie producer Terry and alcoholic former model Liz (Wes Bentley and Evan Rachel Wood, respectively) and Terry’s assistant Steven Reinhardt (Jordan Roth).
Earlier this month, it was revealed that Troye Sivan has penned original music for The Shards, alongside longtime collaborator Leland. Additional music will also apparently come from the singer and actor Hayes Warner, who plays Debbie Schaffer.
Once upon a time, the Call Me By Your Name director was set to direct his own adaptation of the Ellis novel for HBO. Unfortunately, it fell through. The prospective show then left HBO due to reported creative differences, at which point Ellis-favourite Kristoffer Borgli’s name entered the conversation – Borgli has previously directed Sick of Myself and, more recently, The Drama. Now, though, it rests on Murphy’s shoulders to bring the controversial novel to life.
