With shows like American Horror Story, The Walking Dead, and the upcoming Penny Dreadful, horror is having a bit of a renaissance on TV — but with True Blood wrapping up this year and The Vampire Diaries shedding viewers, there's a void for a new vampire TV show to fill. Enter Robert Rodriguez, who announced last year the bloody genre hybrid From Dusk till Dawn: The Series — and its new, extended trailer offers an intriguing look at how Rodriguez's distinctive style will translate to the small screen.
From Dusk till Dawn: The Series is based on Rodriguez's 1996 action/horror movie of the same name. The original film was an unusual hybrid, in which a Pulp Fiction-esque crime thriller suddenly morphed into a gory vampire movie. Judging from this trailer, it looks like the TV show will follow a similar narrative thread, but spread across a season-long arc. D.J. Cotrona and Zane Holtz step in for original stars George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino as the Gecko Brothers, who are fleeing for the Mexican border after robbing a bank.
The new TV show will air exclusively on the El Rey network, a cable upstart founded by Rodriguez last year. "I had a quest for diversity in filmmaking and media," said Rodriguez. "I have now founded the El Rey television network, which is going to be exciting, visceral, addictive entertainment — but with an eye towards keeping that diversity. Having the face of a network more resemble the face of the country."
From Dusk till Dawn: The Series is certainly a splashy way to propel a new network into the cultural conversation — but will audiences respond to Rodriguez's pulpy, gory story in a weekly format? We'll find out when From Dusk till Dawn: The Series debuts in March.