Julie Plec, the executive producer of Containment, is breaking away from the supernatural world to tell a real-world drama that hones in on the necessities of survival, along with the choices people make to save themselves and humanity. 

The series follows an epidemic that breaks out in Atlanta, leaving the large city quarantined and those stuck on the inside fighting for their lives. 

We talked with the Plec and the cast at New York Comic Con last week and got a first-hand look into this cordoned world.

“The theme of the series is really survival,” Plec said. “Your characters are put in a situation where you have to step up or self-destruct…not just in an immediate situation, but also globally has human beings…it’s a good human journey.”

Ethics and priorities are tested early on for all of the characters in the series, and Plec explained that midway through the season, the mystery surrounding the outbreak will be further explored, along with solidified alliances and loyalties between characters.

The series is already developing a fandom, and Plec shared that she hopes that Containment will be able to capture diverse audiences because of its universal themes and balance of gore and ethos. “The reason that I love it is that it’s got both that kind of crazy ‘Oh God, what would I do if that happened to me?’ feeling, which is so real-world and it could happen at any time,” she said. “So there’s definitely that sense of latent fear that runs underneath the whole thing. But I think that it’s really a powerful piece about people and relationships…which of course is the stuff I love to do.” 

Containment will air on The CW in January 2016. Check back with PopWrapped later this year for more information on the series, and  be sure to watch the rest of our interviews with the cast below!