What We Do in the Shadows is a New Zealand multimedia franchise centred on comedy documentaries of paranormal creatures, primarily vampires. The vampires are generally situated in a modern, mundane setting which contrasts with their more ethereal, gothic natures. Originally created by Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement for a short film in their early careers, the franchise received a theatrical adaptation in 2014 and achieved widespread popularity. A critical success, the franchise was then diversified into television, with the New Zealand series Wellington Paranormal (2018-2022) and the American series What We Do in the Shadows (2019-2024).
History
Original short and feature film (2005-2015)
The franchise originated in 2005 with a short film written by Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement, then still in their early careers. The single camera mockumentary, What We Do in the Shadows: Interviews with Some Vampires was shot on a budget of only $200. The film was made amid a wave of interest in horror comedy at the time; Vox compared the short to Shaun of the Dead (2004).
Clement and Waititi returned almost a decade later to write a feature length version, simply titled What We Do in the Shadows. In the interim both comedians had made successful careers, with Clement's Flight of the Concords and Waititi's Boy. The early 2010s had seen several horror comedy films flop, and there was some reluctance from producers to make the film, but work proceeded. It initially ran only in New Zealand in 2014, and did not attract enough attention at the time for international distribution. A North American release of the film was only possible through a Kickstarter funding drive in February and March 2015, which earned $450,000, and it sold well overseas.[1]
The film was widely shared online, becoming the most pirated film of 2015 and a cult phenomenon.[2] GIFs from the film were shared broadly; Vox has suggested that the nature of the film was well suited to the sort of viral clips used in GIFs- similar to the unintentionally memetic nature of The Emperor's New Groove. Both piracy and GIF usage aided its popularity.[1] Two further shorts were also filmed around the time of the feature release.[3]
Television adaptations (2018-2024)
Two television adaptations began airing in the late 2010s. The first of these was a New Zealand series Wellington Paranormal, which followed the two bumbling police officers from the film as they join a paranormal investigation unit of the New Zealand Police. The show was led by Clement & Waititi, starred Mike Minogue and Karen O'Leary, and ran for four seasons. During the COVID-19 Pandemic the characters also appeared in a digital series of public health announcements, made by the New Zealand Government.[4] A 30 episode podcast on the making of the show also aired from 2023 to 2024, with Minogue and O'Leary returning to host it.[5]
An American series simply titled What We Do in the Shadows starred a new group of vampires in Staten Island and aired from 2019 to 2024. It was greenlit after a successful 2018 pilot, which was written by Jemaine Clement and directed by Taika Waititi.[6] The two occasionally made guest appearances as their characters from the film, but the show otherwise stars the Staten Island group- Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Laszlo (Matt Berry), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) and Colin (Mark Proksch). The Guide (Kristen Schaal) was initially a recurring character and then joined the primary cast from season 5.
Short films
Film
Release date
Director(s)
Screenwriter(s)
Producer
What We Do in the Shadows: Interviews with Some Vampires
What We Do in the Shadows: Interviews with Some Vampires (2005)
The original 29-minute short film by Taika Waititi & Jemaine Clement, which inspired their 2014 film. In the short, three vampires—Deacon Brugh (Jonny Brugh), Count Viago (Waititi), and Vulvus the Abhorrent (Clement)—who share an apartment are interviewed by a TV crew.[8]
Dating 101 with Viago (2014)
A short film and advertisement campaign to promote the online dating services FindSomeone and Dating for Shoes. The film follows Dating for Shoes founder Angela Meyer giving Viago a tutorial on creating his own FindSomeone profile: from creating a username, to describing his hobbies and interests.[9]
Vampire's Guide to Vellington (2014)
A short film and advertisement campaign by Wellington, as a comedic promotion that the city is a vampire-friendly place to visit. The film follows vampire Viago promoting the nightlife, cinemas and clothes shops of the city alongside his flatmates Vladislav and Deacon. As part of the campaign, the 'W' in the Wellington Blown Away sign on Miramar hill was temporarily changed to a blood-red 'V'.[10]
A sequel to the What We Do in the Shadows, focused on the werewolves depicted in the film, originally rumoured to be titled What We Do in the Moonlight, was announced as being in development in August 2015.[12][13] In May 2019 Taika Waititi said "We're Wolves is the film that Jemaine and I keep pretending that we're making. Every couple of years we say, we're making this new film called We're Wolves which follows the werewolves from the film," said Waititi. "I feel bad to even mention it now because we keep saying it, [but] it’s like a dad saying, ‘Yeah, I’ll be home for Christmas.’ I suppose we're just two dads out on the road enjoying our lives and going, 'We're not coming home for Christmas.' We'll send a postcard. It's not like we don't want to come home for Christmas. We would like nothing more but we have a lot of shit going on. When are you going to die? Do you have a ... deadline before your death? I guarantee it before then. Five years, 10 years? It took us seven years to write the [first] film, so you do the math. That was a sad thing to say."[14]
The series follows Officers Minogue and O'Leary, who originally appeared as secondary characters in the 2014 film. They join a paranormal division of the Wellington Police Department under Sergeant Maaka (Maaka Pohatu). The show debuted on TVNZ 2 in 2018, and was renewed several times. The fourth and final season aired in 2022.[15]
The series follows four vampire roommates and one vampire familiar living on Staten Island.
In May 2020, the series was ordered for a third season, while season two was still airing.[16]
Production for season three was set to start in February 2021, before being postponed to later in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[17]
Digital series
Important COVID-19 Messages from Wellington Paranormal is a sixteen-episode digital web series and public service campaign released in 2020 by New Zealand Police to inform the public on health, safety, and best practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. The series follows Officers Minogue and O'Leary in home isolation, and features several guests including Sergeant Maaka and Officer Parker. The series also includes Andrew Coster and Clarke Gayford as themselves.[18]
Main cast and characters
List indicators
This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in noteworthy roles.
An empty grey cell indicates the character was not in the installment, or that the character's official presence has not yet been confirmed.
A indicates an appearance through archival footage or audio.
C indicates a cameo role.
G indicates a guest appearance in the installment.
P indicates an appearance in onscreen photographs.
