- The Shards is a new FX TV series based on Bret Easton Ellis’ semi-autobiographical novel set in 1980s Los Angeles.
- The trailer for The Shards introduces a group of privileged high school seniors at an elite prep school navigating identity, sex, jealousy, obsession, and danger, with a mysterious new student named Robert Mallory causing tension.
- The show, executive produced by Ryan Murphy and set to premiere on August 5, 2026, features a star-studded cast including Igby Rigney, Evan Rachel Wood, and Wes Bentley.
The first trailer for Ryan Murphy’s upcoming FX TV series, The Shards, has been released. The project was previously in development at HBO before being dropped, with Murphy later reviving it for FX. The Shards is based on Bret Easton Ellis’ eponymous semi-autobiographical novel.
The show’s synopsis reads, “Set against the vivid backdrop of 1980s Los Angeles, the series follows a group of privileged high school seniors at an elite prep school as they navigate identity, sex, jealousy, obsession and the dangers lurking beneath the surface of American adolescence.”
Check out The Shards trailer below (watch more trailers):
What do we see in The Shards trailer?
The trailer starts with a younger Bret reminiscing about his high school days in 1981 and introducing his social circle. Bret is seen recounting his story to Wes Bentley’s Terry Schaffer, telling him that the story contains plenty of sex, drugs, and murder. The trailer then shows Bret and his friends enjoying the beginning of their senior year, but the peace doesn’t last long following the arrival of a mysterious new student, Robert Mallory. Bret suspects something is wrong with Mallory and appears to be threatened after refusing to befriend him.
One scene appears to show one of the students being kidnapped and possibly murdered by the masked killer known as the Trawler. The rest of the footage builds intrigue with various 80s iconography as Bret attempts to uncover Mallory’s secrets, creating a bridge between him and his friends.
Murphy has created some of TV’s most celebrated shows, including Glee, American Horror Story, 9-1-1, and more. The Shards is executive produced by Murphy, Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Ellis, Eric Kovtun, Scott Robertson, Nissa Diederich, Tanase Popa, Nick Hall, Michael Uppendahl, Max Winkler, Kathleen McCaffrey, and Brian Young. The show is produced by 20th Television.
The show stars Igby Rigney, Homer Gere, Kaia Gerber, Hayes Warner, Graham Campbell, Wes Bentley, Evan Rachel Wood, and Jordan Roth.
The Shards will premiere on August 5, 2026, on FX and Hulu.
