I think I know what explosion scene you are referring to. I think the total budget for this one was relatively low, something like $20 million and once you deduct what they had to pay Hawke and Dafoe, there probably wasn't a lot left over.
I enjoyed "True Blood" but like a lot of series it carried on too long and it was right about the time that Sookie found out she is a fairy and just everyone had magical powers of some sort that the show lost its edge and I tuned out. I still don't know how it ended, probably with a whimper.
I looked it up, yes the budget was exactly $20 million. That being the case, this movie looks really good. Perhaps the main stars accepted a pay cut... who knows