Firebite: Take a bite out of AMC+’s fantastical Indigenous vampire series

Vampires are invading our screens next week with the upcoming vampire fantasy series Firebite, which debuts December 16 exclusively on the AMC+ streaming service. The eight-episode drama will follow a group of Indigenous vampire hunters trying to defeat a colony of these nightcrawlers plaguing the South Australian desert.

Firebite is created, directed and written by Australia’s celebrated Indigenous auteur voice, Warwick Thornton (Sweet Country, Samson and Delilah), alongside Brendan Fletcher (Mad Bastards). Tony Krawitz (Dead Europe, The Tall Man) joins as director. Firebite is an AMC Studios original production with See-Saw Films.

The series is led by Rob Collins and Shantae Barnes-Cowan, who play the leading vampire hunters. They’re joined by Yael Stone of Orange is the New Black fame, Callan Mulvey (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) and Kelton Pell (The Heights).

Firebite season 1 first look

AMC+ released the official trailer and key art for the series. Above is the key art, which rather interestingly features a wall of skulls. I’m assuming that wall is a tribute to all the vampires the hunters have slain thus far. A character is even shown scaling the wall at one point in the trailer, using a jawbone as leverage.

You can watch the official trailer right here:

Firebite season 1 release date

Firebite season 1 premieres on Thursday, December 16. Episodes become available to stream at 3:01 a.m. ET. Below you’ll find the current schedule of release for the entire season:

• Episode 1, Dec. 16
• Episode 2, Dec. 23
• Episode 3, Dec. 30
• Episode 4, Jan. 6
• Episode 5, Jan. 13
• Episode 6, Jan. 20
• Episode 7, Jan. 27
• Episode 8, Feb. 3

Firebite season 1 synopsis

As mentioned, the new show is supposed to give us an inventive spin on the vampire genre, with two hunters on an epic quest to battle the last remaining colony of vampires in the area.

The official synopsis reads:

"Set in a remote desert mining town, a hive for the last vampire stronghold shipped from Britain to Australia in 1788 by the colonial superpower to eradicate the Indigenous populations. Sheltering from the sun in the underground mines and tunnels that surround the town until the present day, the colony’s numbers and hunger is growing. War is coming. Tyson and Shanika stand vanguard to the war. But what hope does an expertly reckless man full of bravado and a 17-year-old orphan possibly have to defeat these vicious blood-thirsty parasites, when legions of warriors before them have failed?"

Are you looking forward to Firebite? Will you watch it on AMC+?