FX has unveiled the official trailer for ‘The Shards’, a seductive new drama based on Bret Easton Ellis’ bestselling novel, which premieres this August on Disney+ UK.
Set against the sun-drenched but increasingly sinister backdrop of 1980s Los Angeles, ‘The Shards’ 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.
At the centre of the story is Bret, played by Igby Rigney (The Midnight Club), an aspiring writer and keenly observant teenager whose reality begins to unravel following the arrival of a mysterious new student.
That student is Robert Mallory, played by Homer Gere, who transfers to the school shortly before the start of senior year. His appearance coincides with the growing terror surrounding The Trawler, a serial killer targeting teenagers across Los Angeles.
Bret’s elite social circle includes Susan Reynolds, played by Kaia Gerber (Palm Royale), Debbie Schaffer, played by Hayes Warner, and Thom Wright, played by Graham Campbell. The glamorous and deeply entangled group are drawn into a world of wealth, beauty, parties and excess, while something far darker begins closing in around them.
The younger cast is joined by Wes Bentley (Yellowstone) as Terry Schaffer, Evan Rachel Wood (Westworld) as Liz Schaffer and Jordan Roth as Steven Reinhardt, representing the darker and more cynical adult world surrounding the teenagers.
The series brings together two storytellers who have never exactly been known for playing things safe. Ryan Murphy’s television work includes American Horror Story, Pose, Feud and Monster, while Ellis is the author behind novels including American Psycho, Less Than Zero and The Rules of Attraction.
Based on Ellis’ semi-autobiographical 2023 novel, ‘The Shards’ blends coming-of-age drama, psychological thriller and murder mystery, all wrapped in the glossy excess of 1980s Los Angeles.
Ryan Murphy and Bret Easton Ellis executive produce alongside Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Eric Kovtun, Scott Robertson, Nissa Diederich, Tanase Popa, Nick Hall, Michael Uppendahl, Max Winkler, Kathleen McCaffrey and Brian Young. The series is produced by 20th Television.
‘The Shards’ premieres with its first two episodes on Thursday, 6th August 2026, exclusively on Disney+ in the UK.
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