Look, you’re not going to ever see a writer at The Playlist talk about how great it is when international films are given English-language remakes. Obviously, we’re all fans of international cinema. But hey, sometimes these remakes aren’t terrible. And in the case of “Let the Right One In” and “Let Me In,” the remake was actually pretty decent, which gives us a bit of optimism that perhaps the upcoming Showtime series based on the vampire drama could potentially work out.
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According to Variety, Showtime has ordered a pilot for an English-language TV series, “Let the Right One In,” starring actor Demián Bichir. The show, much like the movie and remake before it, is inspired by the novel of the same name by author John Ajvide Lindqvist. This new series will tell the story of Mark (Bichir), a father of a young girl that appears to be 12 but is actually much older. However, she is trapped in her 12-year-old body after being turned into a vampire. Now, she and her dad live a reclusive life, with the father trying his best to provide just enough blood for her to survive.
“Let the Right One In” will be written and showrun by Andrew Hinderaker, with Seith Mann serving as executive producer and director of the pilot.
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“‘Let the Right One In’ quickly establishes itself as a thrilling, high-stakes drama that asks the question: How far would you go to save your child from the monsters out there – would you risk becoming a monster yourself?” said Amy Israel, executive vice president of scripted programming for Showtime. “Demián Bichir is one of the world’s most dynamic and engrossing actors, and his charisma and vulnerability will surely bring Andrew Hinderaker’s exquisite script to life, guided by Seith Mann’s deft direction. We couldn’t be more excited about the potential of this show.”
Hinderaker added, “The series is both a love letter to the original film, and a story entirely our own. And casting a true artist like Demián epitomizes our bold aspiration to be one of the most terrifying shows on TV, and one of the most moving.”
Previously, Hinderaker worked on the Netflix sci-fi series, “Away,” which was recently canceled after only one season. He also wrote for the series “Penny Dreadful,” which was a pretty popular fantasy series on Showtime.
Obviously, a pilot order doesn’t mean “Let the Right One In” is going to definitely get picked up for series at Showtime. We saw a similar situation with “Let the Right One In” when it was ordered for a pilot in 2017 at TNT. Eventually, the network passed. But with Bichir attached, perhaps this is iteration of the vampire tale that will finally come to TV screens soon enough?
You can watch the trailers for the original film and the English-language remake, “Let Me In,” below: