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Demian Bichir and Madison Taylor Baez can now be seen in "Let the Right One In." Photo courtesy of Showtime
NEW YORK, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Actor Demian Bichir says he sees Let The Right One In as more of a family drama than a vampire horror show.
Airing Sunday nights on Showtime, the series is inspired by the Swedish novel and film by the same name.
The TV version follows three families -- Mark (Bichir) and Eleanor Kane (Madison Taylor Baez); Naomi (Anika Noni Rose) and Isaiah Cole (Ian Foreman); and Claire (Grace Gummer) and Peter Logan (Jacob Buster).
The story starts when former superstar chef Mark and his daughter Eleanor, who was transformed into a vampire and locked into the age of 12 a decade ago, move into the apartment next door to single mom and New York Police Department detective Naomi and her adorable, but lonely son Isaiah.
Mark is determined to find a cure and restore humanity to his only child, but, in the meantime, he has to secure through often illegal means the blood she needs to drink to survive.
Elsewhere, scientist Claire is trying to save Peter, the brother she was told had been dead for years, but who, it turns out, was really just hiding after he became a vampire and was severely burned when his skin was exposed to the sun. Audiences quickly find out he has a mysterious connection to Eleanor, as well.
"It's a love story about what a father can do for his daughter, but it's also a love story of my neighbor Naomi and what she can do to keep her son from being bullied and keep him happy and productive and have a beautiful future," Bichir, 59, told UPI in a recent interview at New York Comic Con.
"It's the same thing with the Logan family. Everything they do, they do for love. And my best friend Zeke, played by Kevin Carroll -- this is a loving relationship. We are brothers. There is nothing you would not do to help them be safe and be OK."
Showrunner Andrew Hinderaker said he is a huge fan of the previous screen incarnation of Let the Right One In and was excited to explore its themes from a fresh angle.
"As terrifying as it was, as beautifully shot as it was, it was a really poignant love story," Hinderaker said.
"I really was deeply invested in this caretaker-vampire relationship, particularly to explore a parent whose child is addicted to blood and the intensity of that addiction, in this case, how destructive it could be, but also to write an homage to a parent's love for that child. My aspiration is that we create something that feels like the original novel and film, but it feels like its own thing."
Whenever the writers get stuck on scenes, Hinderaker urges them to go back to how deeply connected the characters are and how fiercely they protect one another.
"Once you remember that, then not only does it get brighter, but it gets darker, too. That, I think, is the essence of the show," he said.
Madison, who is 11, describes Eleanor as a "space nerd who loves astronomy, just a regular kid" until she becomes this supernatural creature forced to live in the shadows.
"I can't survive. I don't know how to fend for myself. Family plays a huge part in this world. Not only through love, but also for being there for each other," the actress said.
Moving to New York is intended to provide Eleanor and Mark the anonymity and stability they have been looking for all of these years.
"Looking for a home and just finding one place where we can stay and say that it is ours is definitely something that gives a lot of hope to Ellie," Madison said.
"It's also something Mark has been trying to do for a very long time, but, unfortunately, can't because we always end up on the verge of being caught, so I think staying here in New York is my hope that things will get better, my hope for a cure and I think that is what motivates Mark to get me fed and keep me surviving."
Hinderaker said there were myriad reasons to set the re-imagined version of Let the Right One In in contemporary New York City.
"I want to have 45 minutes to talk about how much I love New York City and I can talk about how it's so great narratively and Demian mentioned he's a chef and the world of food in New York City is one tiny thing, but, really fundamentally, it's like America and, in some ways, the world just smashed together," Hinderaker said.
"So, if what you're really trying to explore is how we treat each other -- whether we protect one another or prey upon one another -- you have this beautiful playground that embodies all of humanity that I think is really reflected in our cast, as well."
Bichir said he sees a parallel between Mark and Eleanor's dreams of a permanent home and the immigration crisis occurring in real life.
"I find this one of the greatest analogies to many different issues that we are experiencing right now, especially in the United States -- how finding your ground is the most important thing for any human being," said the actor, who was born in Mexico.
"The immigration phenomenon still is the greatest challenge on the planet. You see a parent holding their kid, fighting oceans, fighting deserts, crossing rivers in order to give them, provide them a better life," he added.
"Those are the bravest and those people are the new blood in any country that opens their arms to them. I don't want to pretend to be poetic or anything, but that's, to me, one of the biggest virtues of this series: we talk about many different things, if you pay attention."
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Demian Bichir: 'Right One' is father-daughter love story with vampires - UPI News