Press Release: "The Strain" official picked up as series

FX INFECTED BY THE STRAIN

Network Orders 13 Episodes of the Drama Series Based on the Best-Selling Novels by Oscar® Nominee Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan Who Are Executive Producers and Co-Wrote The Pilot Which Was Directed by del Toro.

Emmy® Award-Winning Writer/Producer Carlton Cuse Also Serves as Executive Producer, Showrunner and Writer.

Series Stars Corey Stoll, Mia Maestro, Sean Astin, Kevin Durand, Natalie Brown, Jonathan Hyde, Richard Sammel, Robert Maillet, Jack Kesy, Ben Hyland and Miguel Gomez.

Production to Begin This Month in Toronto and the Series Debuts on FX in July 2014.

Los Angeles, November 19, 2013 – FX has placed a 13-episode order for the drama series The Strain from Academy Award® nominated Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, author Chuck Hogan and writer/producer Carlton Cuse, which is based on the best-selling vampire novel trilogy of the same title written by del Toro and Hogan, it was announced today by Eric Schrier and Nick Grad, the Presidents of Original Programming for FX Networks and FX Productions.

FX President Talks about Del Toro's The Strain

President of the FX Network John Landgraf made some announcements to the Television Critics Association today, including talking about "The Strain" based on Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan's horror trilogy.

“It’s a really epic, truly epic story and when Guillermo came in to sell it, one of the things they made clear is that they wanted to tell the story of the books, that that story would be told over three, four or five seasons. They had work to do in terms of figuring out how to re-situate that story in an episodic television series. That show will be somewhere between 39 and 65 episodes, no less, no more. 

“‘The Strain’ is pretty graphic. It’s a horror show. I think you can expect content commensurate with ‘Walking Dead’ and ‘American Horror Story.’” Source

Sean Astin is set to play Jim Kent, a a savvy and trustworthy member of the Canary team called upon to investigate a mysterious viral outbreak with hallmarks of an ancient and evil strain of vampirism. Sean has already had a plaster mold of his face done!

Reportedly, five scripts have been written; filming on the pilot is set to begin sometime in September in Toronto.

Sean Astin talks about The Strain at Maxim FX party

Sean Astin talks about his excitement for his upcoming role in Guillermo Del Toro's FX series The Strain. Filming begins this fall.



That's Sean's lovely daughter Alexandra at his side. You may recall her as Samwise's daughter Elanor in The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King!

Sean Astin's 1st interview about "The Strain"

Sean Astin talked with iamROGUE about his new role in Guillermo Del Toro's FX pilot The Strain the Maxim, FX and Home Entertainment Comic-Con Party on July 19, 2013. The lovely lady beside him is his daughter Alexandra!

Sean Astin's filming schedule fills up with Reaching from Above

"Reaching from Above," first reported here a year ago, has been added to Sean Astin's busy summer/fall filming schedule.

A fatal car crash kills Rachel Adam's [Dominque Swain] newly announced fiancé and sends her into a coma. This sends her on a journey to a new reality where weird stuff starts to happen around her. She has to make the ultimate choice. Does she go beyond her new reality or does she come back to her family and friends that love her?

Sean plays Rachel's brother Eric Adams. The movie was written by Ryan Lamaster and will be directed by Monty Miranda. Filming is set to begin in Austin TX on September 2. Like their Facebook page for updates.

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Meanwhile, filming of "The Surface in Milwaukee and on Lake Michigan begins in late July and will continue through August.

Later in September, Sean will take on the role of Jim Kent in Guillermo Del Toro's and Carlton Cuse's highly anticipated pilot of "The Strain." If picked up as expected for a full 13-episode season by FX, filming will continue late fall.

In addition, the international thriller "Kickback" will film in Prague, London and other European locations this winter [updated]. Sean's role in the movie has not yet been described.

Sean Astin joins cast of The Strain

Sean Astin has joined the cast of the highly anticipated FX TV show "The Strain," based on the trilogy of novels by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan first published in 2009. Del Toro is slated to direct the pilot, also written by Del Toro and Hogan; Carlton Cuse (Lost, Bates Motel) will be the showrunner. While the show has not yet officially been picked up, a writing staff has already been assembled and additional scripts ordered for the series.

The story centers on a vampire virus that infects New York and the CDC doctor, Ephraim "Eph" Goodweather (House of Cards' Corey Stoll), who investigates the case. Goodweather is the head of the CDC's Canary Team in New York who is called upon to investigate a viral outbreak connected to an evil strain of vampirism. As the strain spreads, Eph will lead a team of New Yorkers as it wages a war and defends humanity. 

Astin will play Jim Kent. The character is a savvy and trustworthy guy who is an open political operative of the Canary Group and best friends with Goodweather and Nora (Alias' Mia Maestro). He unknowingly betrays their friendship when he is coerced into releasing a cabinet out of quarantine that contains a potentially deadly virus. When asked why, Jim confesses he was embezzling CDC funds to help pay for his and his girlfriend's IVF treatments. Source

The cast also includes John Hurt, Jonathan Hyde, Kevin Durand and more. Filming on the pilot is set to begin mid-September in Toronto and take about 20 days. The show is reportedly planned to be a "three season event series."

For more information, read this or this recent interview with Del Toro, and check out the show's IMDB page.