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The new AMC+ series 'Firebite' is not just another vampire show. According to actress Yael Stone (formerly of Orange is the New Black), what separates it from your traditional fare is its underlying theme that is rooted in colonialism.
Set in a rural mining town in Australia, this series looks at two indigenous vampire hunters, Tyson (Rob Collins) and Shanika (Shantae Barnes-Cowan) who set out for pest control to eradicate their fanged foes. Why is the ethnicity of these AMC+ stars important? Because these vampires have been sent by Britain to wipe out Australia's indigenous population!
According to Stone, it is this metaphor that sets this AMC+ series apart from the pack:
"The metaphor where we look at indigenous Australia and the violent colonial impacts on this continent. And using the vampire thing as a metaphor for that is completely original and unlike anything anyone's ever seen before. And using a vampire metaphor for that has its particular kind of sweetness," said Stone.
Yes, the show is a vampire-fantasy series, and yet it's loosely rooted in history. Stone further explained:
"And we get into the nitty-gritty of some of the uglier part of Colonial planning you know, where they packed those eight vials of small pox on the first fleet. That happened and we get to talk about that in a fun, light-hearted way with lots of jokes and lots of heart along the way. And we're certainly not pulling any punches in this story," added Stone.
'Firebite': Who is the Vampire King in the AMC+ series?
Unfortunately, the vampires aren't mindless zombies available for the killing, unlike other AMC+ shows. There is a hierarchy in their ranks and Callan Mulvey stars as The Vampire King, the primary antagonist of the series.
Actress Yael Stone elaborated on Mulvey's character:
"He, interestingly, is a very, very old vampire. So, as the vampires increase in age they also get their faculities and they get their memories back and that's quite a unique part about our show. So, these vampires, if they can live long enough, they kind of gain their human wisdom back and some of their human feelings back and human understandings. And he uses that to gain power. There's the exploration of wisdom gained to get power. And that's kind of an interesting sub-storyline that the vampires told," said Stone.
Fans of the horror genre will certainly find something to enjoy about the AMC+ series. As will fans of action and fantasy shows!
'Firebite' premieres on AMC+ on Thursday, December 16, on the premium streaming bundle, with new episodes set to follow every Thursday.
