FX has cast "House of Cards" star Corey Stoll as the lead in its drama pilot "The Strain," based on the bestselling vampire novel trilogy from Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan.
Del Toro and Hogan will co-write the pilot script, with del Toro attached to direct. Carlton Cuse ("Lost," "Bates Motel") is executive producing and will oversee the project with Del Toro. He will serve as showrunner if the pilot goes to series.
"The Strain" follows Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (Stoll), the head of the Center for Disease Control Canary Team in New York City, as he and his team investigate what appears to be an outbreak of vampirism. They soon need to fight for the fate of humanity itself.
"To me, having the right lead for 'The Strain' series was perhaps the most important creative task,” said del Toro. "To be able to secure the perfect actor in Corey Stoll sets the project on the right track. To embody a character like Ephraim Goodweather – who transitions through every emotion and situation imaginable, and which anchors the narrative of the series – requires amazing talent and craft. Corey has both in spades as he has demonstrated it over and over again."
Besides playing a tragic, alcoholic congressman on "House of Cards," Stoll also appeared this year in the David Sedaris' adaptation of "COG," a Sundance Film Festival entry. He was recently cast in the feature films "This is Where I Leave You" and "The Good Lie," and just wrapped the indie film "The Glass Chin." He also won good reviews for his portrayal of Ernest Hemingway in "Midnight in Paris" in 2011.
Stoll's reps are UTA and Suskin Management.
