How a Real-Life Disaster Inspired ‘Wolf Pack’
Premiering on Paramount+ on January 26, Wolf Pack is one of the most anticipated TV series of the year. Based on the titular 2004 book by Edo van Belkom, the drama series is best known for casting Sarah Michelle Gellar as the main character.
The show’s writer, Jeff Davis, is no stranger to werewolf dramas. He also wrote Teen Wolf, a TV reboot of the 1985 film. Recently, Davis shared that a real-life disaster inspired the first scene of Wolf Pack in California.
All about Paramount+’s ‘Wolf Pack’
Wolf Pack is a supernatural mystery show focusing on two teenagers caught in a wildfire and wounded by a supernatural creature. Later, they discover they’ve become werewolves. This creates an intense bond between them, but things get complicated.
Davis said in a recent Comic-Con interview, via Entertainment Weekly, that he thought he was “done with werewolves.” However, when he was invited to write for Wolf Pack, he couldn’t resist. He also said Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a significant influence on Teen Wolf, so he was excited to get Sarah Michelle Gellar on board to play the role of Kristin Ramsey.
But Davis also admitted something else during that Comic-Con interview. The show’s first scene was inspired by something he’d been thinking of for a while: the recent California wildfires.
The California wildfire connection to Paramount+’s ‘Wolf Pack’
It’s no secret California’s wildfires have been a problem in recent years. Davis said when he first started thinking of writing for Wolf Pack, he had an image of the 405 on fire in his head.
“I just had a single image in my head of… what if a school bus is stuck in traffic, sitting right next to that fire?” Davis shared. “That’s how it started.”
That seems like an intense way to kick off a TV series. And that’s exactly what Davis intended. We don’t know much about what Wolf Pack will be like, but we know it won’t be boring.
Sarah Michelle Gellar also liked the disaster connection to ‘Wolf Pack’
Gellar also revealed that she was drawn to the series because of the wildfire connection. She and her family lived through the 405 fire that Davis was picturing — they were evacuated for a week. She explained further:
“And so when he brought up that idea of sort of utilizing that as the tipping-off point for the story and bringing in the idea of how isolated we all feel …
We live in this extremely connected world right now, and somehow we’re all so much more disconnected than we’ve ever been, and how hard it is to find your pack and where you fit in and how you fit in … So, being able to tell that story through that lens.”
Gellar went on to praise Davis’ writing, admitting she was going to turn it down until she read the script.
Where to watch ‘Wolf Pack’
Wolf Pack is available for streaming on Paramount+. With such an all-star cast and writer, it’s sure to be a hit.
