From creator Jeff Davis (Teen Wolf) and based on the book series by Edo Van Belkom, the Paramount+ original series Wolf Pack follows Everett (Armani Jackson) and Blake (Bella Shepard), as they learn just how much getting bitten by a supernatural creature will change their lives. Drawn to each other, they meet two other teens, Luna (Chloe Rose Robertson) and Harlan (Tyler Lawrence Gray), who share their secret and a mysterious connection to the terrifying California wildfires and the full moon that is calling to them.

During this interview with Collider, co-stars Jackson and Shepard talked about why they wanted to be a part of this project, how much they love the horror genre, shooting the opening sequence of the pilot, exploring the relationship dynamic between their characters, the inconvenience of Blake’s lack of a cell phone, and having their little foursome to experience this with.

Collider: When this project came your way, what was the thing that really grabbed your attention and made you want to do this? Was it the story? Was it your specific character? Was it the creative team? Was it all of those things?

BELLA SHEPARD: Yeah, I think it was a little bit of everything. At least for me, I related to a lot of aspects of Bake. And I just liked the idea that (show creator) Jeff [Davis] wanted to make this a show that wasn’t just about being supernatural. It was also about real world issues. I like that he tied all of that together, into one show.

ARMANI JACKSON: I think every teenager, when they were younger, really wanted to be on a supernatural show. So, that coming to life, as an adult, is literally insane. When we had a conversation with the casting directors, when we were going out for it, they made it very clear that this was gonna be more adult and have a darker tone to it. I was like, “Okay, this is cool. It’s basically going to be another werewolf show, but with everything that Jeff couldn’t do on cable. That sounds great.”

Image via Paramount+

How do you guys personally feel about horror, as a genre? Are you a fan of scary stories? Are you the type of person who watches through your hand?

SHEPARD: We both love horror. That’s all we did. Even in our off time, we would see horror movies together.

JACKSON: We would really only watch horror movies. We didn’t go to the theater unless it was horror. We love all the A24 horror films. We would do movie nights at home and at the theater. It was definitely helpful while filming a horror show.

What was it like to shoot that whole opening sequence of the pilot, with all the kids on the school bus and everything that happens after that? It’s a petty epic moment that kicks all of this off. What was that like to do? How long did it take to shoot all of that?

JACKSON: It took eight or nine days, fully, which is a long time for a two-minute scene. It was really hot. There were a lot of moving parts. There were a lot of kids. It was really cool because, having that many kids on set, we were able to help each other, if it was really hot, and give each other a fan. They had cooling vans to keep us nice and cool. It was hard, but it was also really fun. I’ve never done anything that action-packed, when it comes to acting, so figuring out what it’s like to put together a fast-paced action scene like that was really cool.

SHEPARD: We had a huge stunt team and lots of special effects. That whole opening sequence was really, really cool, but it took a lot of work from a lot of people.

Image via Paramount+

At what point in the shoot did you do that? Was that something you did really early on?

SHEPARD: It was one of the first things that we shot.

JACKSON: I think it was like the second week, or something.

SHEPARD: Yeah, I did a couple of things by myself, with James [Martinez], who plays my dad, and Nevada [Jose], who plays Danny. And then, as soon as [Armani] and I started working together, the first stuff that we did together was on the bridge, and then in the bus.

JACKSON: It was good because that’s how the show starts off, and we were able to get that out of the way. It was also like probably the most rigorous part of filming the show, that scene. It was good to get that out of the way early.

How would you say that these two viewed each other, before they find themselves stuck together now?

JACKSON: I don’t know if they would have ever connected, if it weren’t for that trauma bonding that they went through because they are very opposite characters. Opposites attract, but I don’t know if they ever would have the opportunity to talk to each other. Everett is a really nervous guy. He only starts talking to Blake because he has a reason to. There’s this craziness going outside and he’s like, “Oh, this is probably a chance that I can go talk to this girl.” I don’t know if it would have happened, otherwise.

SHEPARD: Their first conversation on the bus, when he’s muttering to himself and she chimes in, it could maybe be a glimpse into, “Oh, maybe it was meant to be, all along.” They weren’t wolves yet. They hadn’t been bitten by anything yet. Was this meant to happen, or is this only happening because they’re going through what they’re going through? I think that’s a fun thing for fans to be able to debate.

JACKSON: Whether or not they got bit, they definitely still would have connected, with the wildfire going on. But the bite definitely took it to the next level.

Image via Paramount+

How hard will it continue to be for no one to actually ever be able to get ahold of Blake? How long can she go on without a phone, forcing people to have to run to find her?

JACKSON: It’s pretty hard. Honestly, I would just go buy her a flip phone, if she really wanted one.

SHEPARD: That’s the beauty of Blake and Everett’s friendship and relationship.

JACKSON: He has to find her.

SHEPARD: He will put in the work. If he really needs to see her and talk to her, he’ll just go find her.

JACKSON: Yeah, it’s cute. If he wants to find her, he does.

SHEPARD: Yes, if he wants to, he will, girls.

How do things change for them, once they learn about Luna and Harlan? It’s interesting to see how things start to reflect between them, but how is that going to continue to grow?

JACKSON: It’s hard for Everett to convince Blake what’s going on, until they meet those twins. That’s probably when she’s like, “Okay, maybe I need to buy what they’re selling.” I think even Everett has his doubts about what’s going on, until they meet them. It’s a crazy thing going on. If that happened to me, I don’t know if I’d fully be able to grasp the situation.

SHEPARD: It would take me a long time.

JACKSON: Especially with something like that. In the world of Wolf Pack, werewolves obviously already exist in fiction because Everett knows what a werewolf is. But to be able to be like, “Okay, this is now in the real world,” I don’t know if I would ever be able to comprehend that.

Image via Paramount+

What has it been like for you guys to have each other, throughout this experience, and to know that you’re there for each other and you support each other, but then you also have this foursome on set, as well?

JACKSON: For the first few weeks, we were in pairs. It’d be me and Bella filming together, and it’d be Tyler [Lawrence Gray] and Chloe [Rose Robertson] filming together. It wasn’t until the third week that the four of us had a scene together, which was at the end of episode one. That was the moment for all of us. But we’d all been helping each other. If two of us were working, the other would come to set and bring them a Wendy’s Frosty or lunch. We always helped each other, while we were filming. We made sure that, if anyone was tired, we’d bring them something. Even until the very end, we were coming on set, just because we wanted to see what was going on. If someone was shooting a scene that we just read, we wanted to see how they were doing it. We’d just show up and hang out because there was nothing to do, but sit in our little apartments.

SHEPARD: What’s great about Armani and I is that we already knew each other for years, before we even booked Wolf Pack.

JACKSON: Which is crazy. That never happens.

SHEPARD: We hadn’t seen each other because of COVID. So then, to reconnect after COVID and be like, “Oh, my gosh, I forgot what it’s like to be friends with you.” To really become friends again was great.

JACKSON: It was the best reunion anyone could possibly have.

SHEPARD: Yeah. I didn’t expect it.

JACKSON: It was very unexpected.

Wolf Pack is available to stream at Paramount+.