Ryan Murphy’s new series The Shards brings Bret Easton Ellis’s 2023 novel to television. The show takes viewers back to 1981 Los Angeles, where a group of wealthy private school students face a serial killer known as the Trawler. The story follows Bret (Igby Rigney), an aspiring writer who becomes obsessed with a new student named Robert Mallory (Homer Gere).
Executive producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson recently spoke with India Today about bringing this dark story to the screen. The pair, known for producing The Hunger Games and American Crime Story, explained their approach to adapting Ellis’s work.
What Drew the Producers to The Shards
Simpson called the project “literary pulp”. He described it as something with a strong surface appeal but with deeper substance underneath. The story follows teenagers with too much money and absent parents in 1980s Los Angeles. A killer stalks the hills while a mysterious stranger enters their lives.
Simpson said the novel works as both a thriller and a memory piece. He is a longtime fan of Ellis’s work, especially American Psycho and Less Than Zero. He noted that Ellis writes about time periods and sense memory in ways similar to Murphy.
“American Psycho and Less Than Zero are two of my favourite books. So, in a lot of ways, this combines both of them.”
Keeping Bret Easton Ellis’s Voice Intact
The biggest challenge involved preserving the novel’s psychological tension. Much of the story comes through Bret’s thoughts and observations. Jacobson said they knew they needed voiceover to capture that internal perspective.
The character of Bret moves from being an observer to becoming an active participant in the story. Jacobson explained that maintaining Ellis’s prose was essential. They used a lot of voiceover directly from the book. She added that even though voiceover can require more focus from viewers, keeping Bret’s voice throughout was critical.
Ryan Murphy and Bret Easton Ellis Collaboration
Ellis served as an executive producer and co-wrote the first two episodes with Murphy. However, Simpson said Ellis gave Murphy freedom to reinterpret the novel.
The author took a hands-off approach to the production. According to Simpson, Ellis provided some guiding direction at the beginning and then told the team to make the show their own.
Previously, HBO had developed an adaptation of The Shards that fell apart. Ellis called that experience “frustrating” and said he wasted eight months of his year. He initially decided he would never try to adapt the book again. But Murphy convinced him to give it another chance.
Plans for Multiple Seasons
The Shards is not designed as a limited series. The producers confirmed that the show is set up to continue beyond the first season. Simpson noted that Ellis always wanted it to be an ongoing series.
The series currently consists of nine episodes. The producers deliberately slowed down and expanded the source material to sustain an ongoing story.
The Casting Process
The cast includes Igby Rigney (Midnight Mass) as Bret, Homer Gere (son of Richard Gere) as Robert Mallory, Kaia Gerber as Susan Reynolds, Hayes Warner as Debbie Schaffer, and Graham Campbell as Thom Wright. Evan Rachel Wood and Wes Bentley play Debbie’s parents. Broadway producer Jordan Roth also appears in a recurring role.
Simpson said they watched thousands of actors for these roles. Many young male actors read for multiple parts before the ensemble came together. Rigney landed the lead role after Murphy heard him deliver Ellis’s distinctive voiceover.
“As soon as we heard Igby reading those lines and doing the voiceover, we knew it was him.”
Gerber was the best-known among the younger performers and signed on earliest. Murphy and casting director Tiffany Little Canfield held sessions in New York and Los Angeles. They often paired actors up and had them read for multiple roles.
Simpson recalled Gere’s audition as particularly memorable. Murphy said that when Homer walked into the room, he had him read for different characters. As soon as he read Robert, Murphy knew he was the right choice.
Global Storytelling Ambitions
The producers discussed their interest in developing stories from different parts of the world, including India. They want to pursue globally rooted stories alongside their work on American properties.
Jacobson and Simpson have a track record of turning bestselling stories into television events. Their slate includes projects that balance popular appeal with strong emotional or literary cores.
Where to Watch The Shards
The Shards premiered on FX and Hulu in the United States on August 5, 2026 at 6 p.m. PT. International audiences can stream the series on Disney+. In India, the show is available on JioHotstar.
The first two episodes were released together, followed by weekly single episodes. The release schedule continues through September.
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Critical Reception
Early reviews for The Shards have been mixed. The series holds a critics score of around 52% to 56% on Rotten Tomatoes based on multiple reviews. Metacritic shows a score of 57 out of 100.
Audience scores have been lower, with some reports showing around 38% approval. Critics have described the show as a mix of teen drama and serial killer thriller. Some reviewers noted that the series focuses more on memory and adolescence than on murder mystery.
“The Shards is streaming on JioHotstar.”
The series comes from 20th Television and Ryan Murphy Productions. Executive producers include Murphy, Ellis, Jacobson, Simpson, Max Winkler, Michael Uppendahl, Eric Kovtun, Scott Robertson, and Nissa Diederich.
Also Read: Ryan Murphy’s ‘The Shards’ Brings Bret Easton Ellis’ Dark Memoir to TV With a Multi-Season Plan
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