On Friday, July 27, the FROM cast took over the IMDboat and spent time with some of their biggest fans. Every year, the IMDboat is one of the hottest tickets at Comic-Con. The boat is docked in the San Diego Harbor behind the San Diego Convention Center, and actors and actresses hop on board to promote their upcoming TV shows and movies.
Everyone in attendance got to see the world premiere of FROM’s season 3 trailer. The sweet ocean breeze and beautiful blue sky served as a stark contrast to the dark science fiction horror scenes from the trailer.
Why is the show named ‘FROM’?
The trailer was followed up by a fan Q&A, which kept the lucky attendees engaged from start to finish. When asked why he named the show FROM, series creator John Griffin said, “Why I named the show ‘FROM’ is because I feel like it means something different to everybody. What I’ve always said is just that the word from has always been a very loaded and layered word to me. It really gets to the nature and the mystery of all things. But I think it means something different to everyone.”
Writer and executive producer Jeff Pinkner added, “I’m gonna steal an answer from [series star] Harold [Perrineau], who once said that for him, there are themes and lyrics that mention that it doesn’t matter where you’re from, it’s where you’re at. And I think that really speaks to what the show is about.”
What were the most memorable answers from the Q&A?
Another fan asked the cast about their most memorable scenes or moments. David Alpay, who plays a rich software developer named Jade Herrera in the show, said, “I think maybe the scene that lasted with me the longest was the scene I had in episode 10 of season 1 with Tian-Chen [played by Elizabeth Moy] where she’s praying at the altar that she’s built. And I come in and for the first time and I reveal something about myself. Then I connect with her, and I tell her the story of my grandmother. And that stayed with me for so long to this day. I still think I run that scene in my head. It lives rent free in my mind.”
Alpay provided fans with the most passionate answers throughout the Q&A. He added, “And the feelings that I felt the first time I read the scene when you [Griffin] sent it to me, and also the feeling I felt playing the scene…It just burned me. So that’s it. It’s like the pain of a small child, who then becomes a man and hasn’t let go of that pain. And you find those moments, you guys. You create those moments out of thin air. It’s magical.”
What can fans expect from Season 3?
The cast didn’t provide a lot of insight into season 3, as they clearly didn’t want to spoil anything. However, Alpay did get into how he felt about the season. “I’ll say this about season 3. There isn’t a single episode that I read that didn’t leave me with goosebumps this year. Like, burning with goosebumps,” revealed Alpay. “The way I felt when I saw that trailer [pointing to the TV that just played the trailer 15 minutes ago], I just felt like, oh my god. I can’t believe this is happening. I can’t believe people are going to see this.”
The Q&A also provided fans with some laughs, as the cast went around and shared some of their biggest nightmares related to the show. It seemed like most folks in the crowd were expecting nightmares around the monsters in the show, but most of the cast’s nightmares revolved around the process of creating the show (e.g., remembering their lines and getting scripts done on time). However, Alpay added some levity when he said, “You guys might know that we started filming this during COVID lockdowns. And for the first little while, we’re characters in a in a town of of monsters who come out and kill you, and we’re all strangers together. And for the first season, I was kind of worried that maybe this wasn’t a show, but actually a documentary. That was my nightmare.”
After the Q&A, fans were treated to a meet-and-greet, and everyone walked away with a poster signed by every cast member in attendance.
You’ll be able to check out FROM’s season 3 premiere on MGM+ on Sunday, September 22.