NTSC USER

The Strain has been given a full series.



The US vampire drama will now be made into a season after its pilot, filmed in September, proved successful.

13 episodes of the Guillermo del Toro-directed drama have been ordered by FX. It is due to air in July 2014.

Co-created by del Toro and Lost's Carlton Cuse, the thriller sees House of Cards' Corey Stoll starring as Dr. Ephraim Goodweather, who works as the head of a Centers for Disease Control team in New York City.

His team is then tasked with investigating a mysterious viral outbreak that resembles vampirism. The show is based around a best-selling novel trilogy.

Production will reportedly begin in Toronto this November.

Back in June, it was announced that Doctor Who actor John Hurt had signed up for a lead role in the pilot, although his involvement at this stage has yet to be confirmed.

In a statement, del Toro said: "The Strain books are near and dear to my heart and now, Chuck and I have the blessing of a partnership with Carlton and FX that holds great promise.

"Working with FX has yielded an amazing experience with total creative freedom and support."

Meanwhile, Cuse added: "Working with visionary filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and the team at FX has been a dream come true for me. Guillermo's epic, cinematic pilot for The Strain starts a chilling and compelling story that will upend everything you thought you knew about vampires."