The Shards is an upcoming American teen horror-thriller television series for FX and FX on Hulu, which will premiere on August 5, 2026. The series is created by Ryan Murphy and Bret Easton Ellis, based on Ellis' semi-autobiographical novel of the same name.
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| Directed by | Max Winkler |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
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Premise
editThe series is set in Los Angeles in 1981, the story follows a 17-year-old version of Ellis during his final year at the elite Buckley prep school. Upending the character’s world is the arrival of a mysterious new student, Robert Mallory, whose unsettling presence coincides with the activities of a serial killer known as The Trawler.[2]
Cast
editMain
edit- Igby Rigney as Bret Easton Ellis
- Homer Gere as Robert Mallory
- Graham Campbell as Thom Wright
- Hayes Warner as Debbie Shaffer
- Wes Bentley as Terry Schaffer
- Kaia Gerber as Susan Reynolds
Recurring
edit- Evan Rachel Wood as Liz Schaffer
- Jordan Roth as Steven Reinhardt
- Owen Painter
Episodes
edit| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by [3] | Original release date [4] | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TBA | TBA | Ryan Murphy & Bret Easton Ellis | August 5, 2026 | TBA |
Production
editDevelopment
editIn April 2023, it was reported that Ellis would write the series based on his novel for HBO, with Ellis executive producing alongside Nick Hall and Brian Young.[5] In a June 2023 interview with the Spanish publication El Independiente, Ellis had confirmed that Luca Guadagnino was set to direct the series with Ellis himself saying that he may direct some episodes as well.[6] In January 2025, Ellis revealed that the adaptation, which Kristoffer Borgli had signed on to direct, was no longer being developed at HBO, following creative differences. In February 2025, Ryan Murphy was revealed to be in closing talks to revive the project at a different network.[7]
In May 2025, it was announced that FX was in early development on the series and it would be directed by Max Winkler. It is produced by 20th Television in association with Ryan Murphy Television. Murphy, Ellis and Winkler executive produce alongside Nick Hall, Kathleen McCaffrey and Brian Young.[8] In July 2025, the series was officially greenlit.[9]
Casting
editPrior to the series order, Jacob Elordi was reported to be in talks for a role in the adaption in September 2023. In July 2025, in addition to the greenlight of the show announcement, it was revealed that Igby Rigney, Homer Gere, and Graham Campbell joined the cast as Ellis, Robert Mallory, and Thom Wright respectively.[9] In August 2025, it was revealed that Hayes Warner joined the cast as Debbie Shaffer.[10] In fall 2025, Wes Bentley joined the cast as Debbie's father Terry alongside Evan Rachel Wood and Jordan Roth who were cast in recurring roles.[11][12][13]
On April 6, 2026, Deadline reported that Owen Painter had been cast.[14]
Filming
editRelease
editIn March 2026, Brad Simpson revealed in an interview that the series had been aiming for a summer airdate.[17] In June 2026, it was announced that the series would premiere on August 5, 2026.[2]
References
edit- ↑ "The Shards - WGA Directory". Writers Guild of America. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
- 1 2 Petski, Denise (June 10, 2026). "Ryan Murphy's 'The Shards' Sets Release Date At FX". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
- ↑ "The Shards - WGA Directory". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
- ↑ "Shows A-Z - The Shards on FX". The Futon Critic. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
- ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 18, 2023). "HBO Developing Drama Series 'The Shards' From Bret Easton Ellis". Deadline. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ↑ Waite, Thom (July 6, 2023). "Luca Guadagnino to direct adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis's The Shards". Dazed. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ↑ Svetkey, Benjamin; Sancton, Julian (February 12, 2025). "Can Ryan Murphy Save Bret Easton Ellis' 'The Shards' From HBO Development Hell?". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ↑ Grobar, Matt (May 19, 2025). "Ryan Murphy Sets 'The Shards' Series Adaptation At FX With Kaia Gerber Starring, Max Winkler Directing". Deadline. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- 1 2 Cordero, Rosy (July 16, 2025). "FX Greenlights Ryan Murphy's 'The Shards'; Igby Rigney, Homer Gere, Graham Campbell Join Kaia Gerber". Deadline. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ↑ Cordero, Rosy (August 23, 2025). "Hayes Warner Joins Cast Of Ryan Murphy's FX Series 'The Shards'". Deadline. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
- ↑ Otterson, Joe (October 29, 2025). "Ryan Murphy's 'The Shards' Series Casts Wes Bentley (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
- ↑ Petski, Denise (October 29, 2025). "Evan Rachel Wood Joins Ryan Murphy's FX Series The Shards". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
- ↑ Porter, Rick (November 3, 2025). "FX's 'The Shards' Adds Jordan Roth to Cast (Exclusive)". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
- ↑ Kroll, Justin (April 6, 2026). "Kathryn Newton, Storm Reid, Dove Cameron, J. Smith-Cameron And Owen Painter To Star In 'Hot Year' From Director Roxy Sophie Sorkin". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
- ↑ Nied, Michael (November 3, 2025). "Kaia Gerber and Homer Gere Are the Spitting Image of Famous Parents Cindy Crawford and Richard Gere on Set of New Show". People.com. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
- ↑ Rabhar, Sabba (November 3, 2025). "Cindy Crawford's Daughter and Richard Gere's Son Working Together 30 Years After Their Divorce". Entertainment News. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
- ↑ Cynthia Littleton (March 27, 2026). "'Love Story' Producers Brad Simpson and Nina Jacobson on Tackling Final Episode With JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette's Fateful Flight: 'We Didn't Want to Be Gratuitous'". Variety.
