The Shards Trailer: Bret Easton Ellis Collaborates with Ryan Murphy in an '80s High School Serial Killer Series

      FX has finally revealed a glimpse of The Shards, a new series from Ryan Murphy that's based on the bestselling novel by Bret Easton Ellis, known for American Psycho and Less Than Zero.

      In the series, Ellis appears as a character, with the storyline based on the author's real-life teenage experiences growing up in Southern California during the ’80s.

      During the pandemic lockdowns, Ellis sparked literary excitement by reading chapters of The Shards on his podcast, presenting them as his actual memories of a bewildering school year where he suspected his charismatic new classmate, Robert Mallory, of being a serial killer dubbed The Trawler. These readings were eventually published as a novel, which served as the foundation for the series.

      According to the Shards trailer, the show appears to be a quicker-paced, equally gripping interpretation of the book, where much is suggested, and the tension builds to an excruciating level. The trailer features themes of teenage sexuality, drug use, and the 1985 hit "Let’s Go All the Way" by Sly Fox. (Though set in 1981, the trailer is so visually appealing that we can overlook minor discrepancies.)

      More on The Shards

      In its show description, FX states: “FX’s The Shards is a captivating drama series from executive producer Ryan Murphy, based on the acclaimed bestselling novel by Bret Easton Ellis. Set against the vibrant backdrop of 1980s Los Angeles, the series follows a group of affluent high school seniors at a prestigious prep school as they navigate issues of identity, sex, jealousy, obsession, and the hidden dangers of American adolescence.”

      Igby Rigney stars as Bret, an aspiring writer and keen observer whose reality begins to fragment with the arrival of Mallory, portrayed by Homer Gere. This casting is particularly notable given the influence of the 1980 film American Gigolo, starring Richard Gere, Homer’s father, on Ellis’ writing.

      Bret's social circle includes Susan Reynolds (Kaia Gerber), Debbie Schaffer (Hayes Warner), and Thom Wright (Graham Campbell). The brightness of their privileged youth is overshadowed by the cynicism of the adults around them, such as Terry Schaffer (Wes Bentley), Liz Schaffer (Evan Rachel Wood), and Steven Reinhardt (Jordan Roth).

      The Shards is executive produced by Murphy, Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Ellis, Eric Kovtun, Scott Robertson, Nissa Diederich, Tanase Popa, Nick Hall, Michael Uppendahl, Max Winkler, Kathleen McCaffrey, and Brian Young. It is produced by 20th Television.

      The series was initially in development at HBO, but after plans fell through, it shifted to FX.

      The Shards premieres on August 5 on FX.

      Main image: The Shards cast.