Is Netflix series First Kill based on a book?

By James Hibbs

Published: Wednesday, 15 June 2022 at 12:00 am

Vampire drama First Kill is going down a storm on Netflix, building up a fan-base as ravenous as the Fairmont family.

The series is already number two on the UK Netflix charts, with its story of a teen vampire and vampire hunter who fall in love clearly hitting home for many viewers.

However, fans have been wondering, is the series based on a book or any other original material, such as with other teen series Heartstopper and One of Us is Lying?

Read on for everything you need to know about the origins of First Kill on Netflix.

Is First Kill based on a book?

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Imani Lewis as Calliope with Sarah Catherine Hook as Juliette in First Kill.
Courtesy Of Netflix

Not exactly. The series is created by Victoria “V.E.” Schwab and is based on her own short story of the same name from 2020.

It was published as part of a collection of stories called Vampire Never Get Old: Tales with Fresh Bite, which included 11 different stories, all from young adult writers.

The series came to life when Belletrist Productions, a company owned by Emma Roberts (American Horror Story) and Karah Preiss, reportedly outbid “nearly two dozen other groups” for the rights to the story, according to Variety.

Where can you read the short story?

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Elizabeth Mitchell as Margot Fairmont, Will Swenson as Sebastian Fairmont, Sarah Catherine Hook as Juliette and Imani Lewis as Calliope in First Kill.
Brian Douglas/Netflix

You can read the story, along with the other 10 written as part of the Vampire Never Get Old: Tales with Fresh Bite collection, by purchasing the book here.

It is available in both paperback and Kindle versions.

What is the series really about and what inspired its creator?

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Dominic Goodman as Apollo Burns, Walnette Santiago as Carmen, Phillip Mullings Jr. as Theo Burns, Imani Lewis as Calliope, Aubin Wise as Talia Burns and Jason R. Moore as Jack Burns in First Kill.
Brian Douglas/Netflix

In an interview with Netflix Tudum, Schwab made clear that the series is not about Juliette or Calliope’s sexuality, but instead about “the fact that there are systems in play on both sides”.

She continued: “It’s about family indoctrination. We have these two families and each of them have systems of entrenchment that are thousands of years old. Who are you supposed to be? What is your pride, your duty, your honour?”

Schwab also talked about her transition from writing novels and short stories to a series, saying: “I’m so used to being in control with books. When you’re writing a novel, you’re kind of playing God, you’re the one voice.

“But when you go on to work on a TV show, everyone has a voice and a vision, and it’s about creating a much more complex music that maybe sounds less like the one in my head but is also a song that other people will all enjoy.”

First Kill is available to stream on Netflix now – check out our guides to the best series on Netflix and the best movies on Netflix. Take a look at the rest of our Fantasy coverage, or see what else is on with our TV guide.

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