It’s back to the drawing board forPretty Little Liars, as the teen mystery series is getting a new reboot fromRiverdaleshowrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. Reportedly, Aguirre-Sacasa will be writing the script, and the updated version of the show will follow a new story with new characters. The project is not yet attached to any particular network or streaming service, but with Warner Bros. TV backing the series, HBO Max is reported to be the target destination for the reboot. As of now, the studio has not officially commented on the news.
Additionally, Aguirre-Sacasa will continue working onRiverdaleand another planned spin-off series set in the Archie-verse along with leading the newPretty Little Liars. He will also executive produce the series alongside Leslie Morgenstein and Gina Girolamo of Alloy Entertainment. It’s not yet clear if original series creator I. Marlene King will be involved as she left Warner Bros. last year for the Disney-owned 20th TV.
Developed for television by King, the originalPretty Little Liarsfirst premiered on television in 2010. Based on theSara Shepard novel seriesof the same name, the show follows four high school girls tormented by an unseen villain known only as “A” after one of their friends suddenly goes missing. Its ensemble cast featured Lucy Hale, Ashley Benson, Troian Bellisario, and Shay Mitchell. The series proved to be very popular with fans, enjoying a seven season run on television before concluding just three years ago in 2017.
Pretty Little Liarswould also produce two spin-offs set in the same universe, but neither show managed to live up to the original series. Thefirst spin-off, Ravenswood, aired for a single season between 2013 and 2014 before low ratings got it the boot. Set in the town of Ravenswood during the fourth season of its parent series, the show starredTyler Blackburnreprising hisPretty Little Liarsrole as Caleb Rivers.
Two years after the final episode of its parent series, the secondPretty Little Liarsspin-off,The Perfectionists, premiered on Freeform just last year. The show primarily followed new characters as another mystery began to unfold, though Sahsa Pieterse and Janel Parrish would also return to reprise their roles as Alison and Mona. The new cast also featured Sofia Carson, Sydney Park, Hayley Erin, Kelly Rutherford, and Eli Brown. LikeRavenswood,The Perfectionistswould also be canceled after a single 10-episode season.
It will be interesting to see ifPretty Little Liarswill fare better than its spin-offs when it gets completely rebooted with an entirely new creative vision. Maybe an all-new mystery with original characters will help rejuvenate the franchise and make it fresh again. Still, because the original show ended just three years ago, it’s going to be that much more challenging for Aguirre-Sacasa to make the reboot stand out on its own, as the comparisons will be unavoidable. In any case, word of the reboot is likely to cause some division with the longtime fans of the series. This news comes to us fromThe Hollywood Reporter.
