A couple of updates out of the camp of FX pilots.  Unfortunately, it looks like Oscar-winning director Ang Lee will be tapping out of production on the drama pilot Tyrant, citing exhaustion from filming and promoting Life of Pi.  The story centers on an unassuming American family drawn into the workings of a turbulent Middle East nation; Tyrant’s pilot may be shooting in Morocco.  The search for a replacement is currently underway.

For more on what Lee had to say about his departure from the project and for casting information on Guillermo del Toro’s FX pilot, The Strain, hit the jump.

The first bit of casting news for Guillermo del Toro’s FX series project, The Strain, is finally here!  It looks like Corey Stoll (House of Cards) will lead the vampire adaptation.  The Strain centers on a team of scientists who wage war against an ancient strain of virus that confers vampirism, along with those it infects.  Del Toro and Chuck Hogan - who both wrote the original trilogy of novels – have co-written the screenplay which del Toro will direct.  Hit the jump for more.

The A&E drama series Bates Motel (which was recently renewed for a second season) gives viewers an intimate portrayal of how Norman Bates’ (Freddie Highmore) psyche unravels through his teenage years.  This contemporary prequel to the genre-defining film Psycho reveals the dark, twisted backstory and shows first-hand just how deep the relationship with his mother, Norma (Vera Farmiga), truly goes, as she helps forge the most famous serial killer of them all.  The show also stars Max Thieriot, Nicola Peltz, Olivia Cooke, Nestor Carbonell and Mike Vogel.

During this exclusive interview with Collider, executive producers/writers Carlton Cuse and Kerry Ehrin talked about how they each came to be involved with Bates Motel, how much they use Psycho as an inspiration, just how crucial the casting of Norman and Norma Bates was, the overall story they’re looking to tell this season, how far ahead they plan out the story, what it will add to the show when guests start checking in to the Bates Motel, and the importance of transmedia to make viewers more directly active with the show.  Cuse also talked about how he’ll divide his time, if the adaptation of The Strain goes into production at FX.  Check out what they had to say after the jump, and be aware that there are some spoilers.

Even though Pacific Rim will be Guillermo del Toro‘s first film in five years, he has attached himself to numerous projects both for movies and television.  Just to name a few that are still in development hell, he’s attached to The Haunted Mansion, The Incredible Hulk TV series, and Pinocchio.  And even though Pacific Rim has yet to hit theaters, del Toro and co-writer Travis Beacham are already set to write the sequel for Legendary Pictures.  Del Toro is also in pre-production on adapting his vampire novel trilogy The Strain for television, and is looking ahead to the haunted house feature, Crimson Peak starring Emma Stone and Charlie Hunnam.

Speaking with Steve and WonderCon, del Toro talked about the status of Pacific Rim 2, The Strain, Crimson Peak, how financing tends to determine his next project, writing the script to his indie feature Saturn and the End of Days, what happened to his animated adaptation of Pinocchio, and more.  Also, be sure to check out what del Toro had to say about Justice League Dark.

FX, home of Sons of Anarchy, Justified, and The Americans (which has already been picked up for a second season), just exploded with information about new spin-off channels, series renewals, new series and more, such as:

• FX has launched a new network, FXX, to appeal to a young adult set of viewers.
• Series renewals include Justified, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The League and Legit, with the latter three moving to FXX in 2014.
• Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell expands to a 5-nights-a week.
• FX orders a 10-episode limited series of Fargo.
• FX orders comedy pilots How and Why from Charlie Kaufman, and Chozen from Grant Dekernion, Danny McBride and the team behind Eastbound & Down.

Hit the jump for all the details.

With Rise of the Guardians opening this week, I recently got to see the finished film at DreamWorks Animation and it’s really well done.  Not only is the animation great to look at, it’s got a strong story that’s character driven and it doesn’t rely on stupid jokes.  In addition, unlike most superhero films that spend half the time introducing characters by explaining their origin and showing off their powers, what’s fantastic about Rise of the Guardians is we join almost everyone in the middle of the story.  If you’re not familiar with the story, it  revolves around the rebellious Jack Frost (Chris Pine) teaming up with other mythical figures North aka Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin), E. Aster Bunnyman aka Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), Tooth aka The Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), and the Sandman to battle the evil Pitch (Jude Law).  Here’s my video blog review and all our previous coverage.

To help promote the film, last week I got on the phone with Rise of the Guardians producer Guillermo del Toro.  We talked about how they didn’t do a typical origin story, the tone, the Puss in Boots sequel, Kung Fu Panda 3, his DreamWorks Animation directorial debut Trollhunters, Pacific Rim, the 3D conversion, when we’ll see the trailer, the Pacific Rim sequel, and so much more.  Hit the jump for what del Toro had to say.

In addition to being knee-deep in post-production on his next directorial feature, Pacific Rim, filmmaker Guillermo del Toro is also juggling a number of other projects in various stages of development.  One such project that many are keeping an eye on is an adaptation of the vampire trilogy The Strain, a book series that he co-wrote with Chuck Hogan.  FX has given a pilot order to the TV series adaptation, and Lost showrunner Carlton Cuse is also onboard to help develop the show, which is being planned for a limited run of three to five seasons.

Steve recently had the chance to speak with del Toro during a phone interview in anticipation of the release of the DreamWorks Animation film Rise of the Guardians (which he executive produced), and the director gave an update on The Strain, revealing that production on the pilot will get underway next year, likely in Toronto.  Hit the jump for more.

Writer/director/producer Guillermo del Toro has added another project to his ever-growing list.  This time around, he’ll be adapting his own vampire trilogy, The Strain, into a series, starting with a pilot order from FX.  Del Toro plans to co-write the pilot script with Chuck Hogan (Prince of Thieves), who also co-wrote the books.  Del Toro will also direct and executive produce the pilot episode.  Also on board as showrunner to help develop the series will be Carlton Cuse (Lost), which is fitting since The Strain is planned for a limited run of three to five seasons, much like Lost was in its early development.  Hit the jump for more on The Strain.

Normally literature doesn’t fall into my realm of reviews, but when the director of the Oscar winning film Pan’s Labyrinth and the comic book movies Hellboy 1 and 2 says he’s written a vampire novel, you reconsider. Guillermo del Toro, the premiere modern guru of visual effects, teamed with accomplished fiction writer Chuck Hogan, and they have released the first in a trilogy of thriller novels.

The first book in The Strain Trilogy, aptly titled The Strain, sets the stage by playing on the fears of the modern age mixed with classic figures from horror’s lengthy mythology.

A plane suddenly stops working on a runway after a perfect flight from overseas. After the plane is pried open since it was locked from the inside, and almost all of the passengers are found dead, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) is called in and the head of their early response “Canary” team, Dr. Eph Goodweather, is baffled by the strange findings in the plane. After examining the situation, he is left with a feeling of dread that chills him to the bone as he tries to implement his scientific methods to a situation that clearly does not follow the rules of modern science.