ABC Family—or Freeform, as it’s known to all you Becomers out there—has been working on its adaptation of Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments books for a while now. As of today, we’re finally getting our first look at the result (retitled Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments), and it’s time to see what human music video McG has done with the bestselling franchise.
In a not-especially-surprising twist, he’s turned it into something that looks a lot like a McG movie. The trailer, narrated by series star Katherine McNamara, is light on plot, outside of McNamara’s character, Clary, realizing that there’s magical doings afoot on the day of her 18th birthday. But it’s heavy on glossy lighting, erratic camerawork, and special effects and backgrounds that make all the characters look like they’re posing for their Topps Signature Shadowhunters Collectible Cards. We’ll have to wait until the show debuts next year to see if there’s more to the series than slow-motion, ominously floating pieces of paper and sword-wielding blonde guys, although that should be enough for the “low-speed-paper-blondies” demographic the show is clearly looking to court.