New True Blood showrunner Mark Hudis was recently interviewed by his alma mater, Haverford College for their publication Haverford Magazine’s fall 2012 edition. Quotes from this interview have been floating around the internet and now we have it in its entirety. In it he discusses what it is like being creator Alan Ball’s successor, what to expect in season 6 after the way season 5 ended, and how his education helped prepare him for this experience.
Of stepping into Ball’s shoes, Hudis says that it would be impossible to fill them because of all that he has accomplished.
“…That’s not false modesty, that’s the truth. The guy’s created two massive hit shows for HBO and has an Oscar [for American Beauty]. Really, this plane is in the air, and I just want to land it safely.”
But the newly minted showrunner is now taking on more responsibilities than before. He’s still breaking stories with the seven person writing team who work democratically trying to plot story lines that engage fans and stay true to the characters. But as the chief executive of the production, he’s no longer making suggestions–he’s making decisions that include everything from casting to what kind of bullet wound someone has:
“Ultimately, the tricky part is that now I have to be the arbiter of what ultimately gets on screen.”
And Hudis has quite the tall order considering that the end of season 5 left the once pro-mainstreaming Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) turning into what is now referred to as Billith:
“Certainly he’s not going to be the Bill we know and love, he’s going to have more bite, no pun intended.”
Season 6 is also said to bring more action back to Bon Temps after the last year spent on national vampire politics and Authority Headquarters in New Orleans. Sookie (Anna Paquin) and Jason (Ryan Kwanten) will be spending time trying to find the infamous and mysterious Warlow for example.
Mark credits his college education for preparing him for a career in Hollywood. As an English major at Haverford, he was given the opportunity to write skits and shows; both dramatic and comedic in extracurricular activities. And he was also encouraged try everything in school in addition to learning from books and his professors which he called “stellar”
I’m interested to see what’s coming up in season 6. What are you excited about? Sound off below!
Source: Haverford.edu: Haverford Magazine Fall 2012- “Mark Hudis ’90 Takes a Bite Out of True Blood”
Image Credit: HBO, Inc.