HBO has officially picked up Alan Ball’s vampire series “True Blood.”
Ball, who created the hit “Six Feet Under” for HBO, will executive produce and act as showrunner for “True Blood,” which is based on Charlaine Harris’ “Southern Vampire” novel series.
The channel is still ironing out an episodic order and airdate, but the show is expected to go into production this fall. Ball, who wrote and directed the pilot, has already written several more episodes.
Ball started working it in October 2005, when he signed a two-year overall pact with HBO. Project was eventually rolled to this year, and the pilot was shot earlier this summer with stars Anna Paquin, Ryan Kwanten, Sam Trammell, Stephen Moyer and Brook Kerr.
Set in small-town Louisiana, the series follows the world of vampires, who are able to co-exist with humans by drinking a Japanese-manufactured synthetic blood. The show contains a dose of humor alongside the horror.
Paquin plays Sookie Stackhouse, a waitress who winds up falling for vampire Bill Compton (played by Moyer) and who has powers of her own. Carrie Preston and Michael Raymond-James round out the cast.
