It's An Interview with Four Vampires: the hilarious What We Do in the Shadows has just been picked up by TV channel FX for a pilot episode. Find all about the original, the film sequel and the TV series - one to read during your next coffin break.
Oh What We Do in the Shadows, how do I love thee?
If you've not watched this mockumentary about a New Zealand vampire flatshare, you've missed out: this is the film to watch if you're with a group of friends and need a laugh, but it's also that rare thing, a film so funny that you can watch it alone and still laugh out loud.
This week, FX has committed to making a TV pilot which is based on the film – albeit moving the action from New Zealand to America – with Jermaine Clement and Taika Waititi, who wrote, starred in and directed the 2014 film – writing and directing once again.
Kayvan Novak (Facejacker) will play the leader, Nandor, Toast of London's Matt Berry will be the useless Lazslo and stand-up comedian Natasia Demetriou will be their female foil in the new series which will air in half-hour segments. Harvey Guillen (Eye Candy) will play Nandor's faithful assistant.
What We Do in the Shadows saw a film documentary team following the antics of Viago (Waititi), Deacon (Jonathan Brugh) and Vladislav (Clement), three flatmates who face all the usual dilemmas such as finding the rent, doing the chores, overcoming in-house squabbles and being immortal vampires on a difficult-to-source human-blood diet who have to be invited into a nightclub in order to cross the boundary.
Viago has invited a documentary crew into the house and, after protecting themselves with crucifixes, the crew meet the three flatmates and the fourth, loner Petyr (Ben Fransham) a hissing pointy-eared creature who bears an uncanny resemblance to Max Schreck's Nosferatu and won't take his turn at chores unless they involve ritual slaughter.
Petyr accidentally turns a human (Nick, played by Cori Gonzalez-Macuer) into a vampire but Nick hasn't had hundreds of years of practice and won't give up his best friend Stu, insists on breaking vampire law by telling everyone he's a nightbreeder and occasionally claiming to be 'that guy from Twilight'. It doesn't end well (for Stu in particular).
The new series will involve a trio of vampires living in a horrible flat and in even better news, the TV series isn't the only WWDITS project being considered. Clement and Waititi are working on a sequel to the film based on the Werewolves (not Swear-Wolves) which has the working title We're Wolves and there's another spin-off show being considered called Wellington Paranormal which features the witless police officers from the film, Karen and Mike.
Waititi's recent success story was box office Marvel smash Thor: Ragnoraok, which he directed, while Clement is a series regular on FX-Marvel series Legion, was in HBO series Divorce and could be heard on Disney's blockbuster Moana.
You might think you're over vampire films and over mockumentaries, but if you haven't seen What We Do in the Shadows for these reasons, you're wrong and you should – it's like Big Brother with a blood transfusion, Being Human with more laughs (but sadly less Aidan Turner, you can't have it all).
If all this is new to you, let us draw first blood for you with 10 quotes from the film so that you can start getting excited for the TV series – there's likely to be quite a long wait, so you may need to read them a few* times (*several million).
10 amazing quotes from What We Do in the Shadows:
1) 'Every few years a secret society in New Zealand gathers for a special event. The Unholy Masquerade. In the months leading up to the ball, a documentary crew was granted full access to a small group of this society. Each crew member wore a crucifix and was granted protection by the subjects of this film.'
2) Vladislav: 'Vampires have had a pretty bad rep. We're not these mopey old creatures who live in castles. And while some…most of us are…a lot are…there are also those of us who like to flat together in really small countries like New Zealand.'
3) Jackie: I love you
Terry, Jackie's husband: I love you too.
Jackie: Great. But I am your master.
4) Vladislav: The point is, Deacon, that you have not done the dishes for five years.
Viago: Vladislav is right. It's unacceptable to have so many bloody dishes all over the bench like that…
Vladislav: I'm so embarrassed when people come over.
Deacon: Why does it matter?! You bring them over to kill them!
Vladislav: Yeah…
Deacon: Vampires don't do dishes
5) Deacon: This is what happens when you're a vampire. You have to watch everyone die. Your mother and father. All your friends. Sometimes it's brutal, like slipping and falling on to a giant spike. Or falling asleep in an autumn pile of leaves and having some of them block your windpipe. Or making the simple mistake of fashioning a mask out of crackers and being attacked by ducks, geese, swans.
6) Viago: Some people freak out a bit about the age difference. They think: 'what's this 96-year-old lady doing with a guy four times her age?' and you know, I don't care.
Katherine: It doesn't make any difference.
Viago: No. They can call me a cradle snatcher, who cares?
7) Anton (werewolf, to all the werewolves): What are we? We're (all together) We're Werewolves, not Swear-Wolves.
8) Nick: Hi, my name is Nick. I've been a vampire for two months. Probably I reckon the best thing about being a vampire is flying. Like, I've always wanted to. I think everyone's always wanted to fly, and now I can do it.
Deacon: The neighbours can see you flying around. You want to draw attention to the house?
Nick: You've got a whole documentary crew following you around.
9) Vladislav: Leave me to do my dark bidding on the internet!
Viago: What are you bidding on?
Vladislav: I am bidding on a table.
10) Deacon: 'One day I was selling my wares, and I walked passed this old creepy castle. And I look at it and think, 'very old and creepy'. And then this creature flies at me! It dragged me back to this dark dungeon and bit into my neck. And just at the point of death, this creature forced me to suck its foul blood and then it opened its wings, like this, and hovered above me, screeching: 'Aha-haha! Now you are vampire!' And it was Petyr. And we're still friends today.'
* What We Do in the Shadows is available on Amazon Video.
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