Norwegian filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli, known for his recent success with A24’s surreal Nicolas Cage comedy Dream Scenario, has been tapped to direct and executive produce HBO’s upcoming series The Shards. This new project is based on Bret Easton Ellis’ novel of the same name.
The Shards is set in the early 1980s Los Angeles, following a group of privileged high school students at the exclusive Buckley prep school. The story centers around seventeen-year-old Bret and the enigmatic new student, Robert Mallory, whose mysterious past intertwines with the group’s lives. As Bret becomes increasingly obsessed with Mallory, his fixation is matched only by his fear of the Trawler, a serial killer terrorizing the city. The killer’s proximity and menacing threats blur the lines between reality and Bret’s vivid imagination, propelling him into a spiral of paranoia and isolation.
Initially, Challengers director Luca Guadagnino was rumored to direct several episodes of The Shards, but he has since exited the project. The series is slated for a three-season arc, with each season comprising ten episodes. Bret Easton Ellis, who will write all episodes, hinted at new subplots exclusive to the series, expanding on the novel’s original storyline. Ellis also joins as an executive producer, alongside Emmy-winner Nick Hall (The White Lotus), Brian Young, and Kathleen McCaffrey.
Borgli’s attachment to The Shards follows the successful premiere of his film Sick of Myself at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.
