The Shards (TV series)

The Shards is an American teen thriller television series for FX and FX on Hulu. It premiered on August 5, 2026. The series was built by Ryan Murphy and Bret Easton Ellis, based on Ellis' semi-autobiographical novel.

Overview§

The Shards is an American teen thriller television series for FX and FX on Hulu. It premiered on August 5, 2026. The series was built by Ryan Murphy and Bret Easton Ellis, based on Ellis' semi-autobiographical novel.

Premise§

The 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.

Main§

Igby Rigney as Bret Easton Ellis Kaia Gerber as Susan Reynolds Homer Gere as Robert Mallory Hayes Warner as Debbie Schaffer Graham Campbell as Thom Wright Evan Rachel Wood as Liz Schaffer Wes Bentley as Terry Schaffer

Recurring§

Owen Painter as Matt Kellner Jordan Roth as Steven Reinhardt Daniel Dale as Ryan Vaughn

Guest§

Gus Halper as Bruce Ivy Wolk as Screaming Girl

Development§

In 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. 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. In January 2025, Ellis revealed that the adaptation, which Kristoffer Borgli had signed on to direct, was no longer being developed at HBO, after creative differences. Ryan Murphy was revealed to be in closing talks to revive the project at a different network in February 2025. 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 made by 20th Television in association with Ryan Murphy Television. Murphy, Ellis and Winkler executive make alongside Nick Hall, Kathleen McCaffrey, Michael Uppendahl, Brian Young, Alexis Martin Woodall, Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Braxton Pope, and Tanase Popa. In July 2025, the series was officially greenlit. Murphy has talked around a plan for the show to run for at least 3 seasons.

Casting§

Before the series order, Jacob Elordi was reported to be in talks for a role in the adaption in September 2023. Also 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 in July 2025. In August 2025, it was revealed that Hayes Warner joined the cast as Debbie Shaffer. Wes Bentley joined the cast as Debbie's father Terry alongside Evan Rachel Wood and Jordan Roth who were cast in recurring roles in October 2025. In April 2026, it was reported that Owen Painter had been cast to the series.

Music§

In July 2026, it was revealed that Troye Sivan and his longtime collaborator Leland contributed the original music for The Shards alongside Oscar Görres and the series star Hayes Warner.

Filming§

Filming started in November 2025 and wrapped in March 2026.

Release§

In March 2026, Brad Simpson revealed in an interview that the series had been aiming for a summer airdate. It was announced that the series would premiere on August 5, 2026 in June 2026.

Reception§

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 53% of 43 critics' reviews are positive, with an average of rated reviews of 6.3/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "The combination of Ryan Murphy and Bret Easton Ellis should elicit magnanimously pulpy TV, but instead The Shards relegates itself to obtuse style with mildly entertaining substance." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 56 out of 100, based on 23 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.