Pretty Little Liars Reboot - What We Know So Far
The Freeform series "Pretty Little Liars" was one of the most well-known shows on the channel, running for seven seasons from 2010 to 2017. The show starred Shay Mitchell, Lucy Hale, Ashley Benson, and Troian Bellisario as four estranged high school friends who began receiving mysterious messages from someone calling themselves "A" who was set on punishing them for their lies. The show gave career boosts to Hale, Mitchell, and Benson, with all three women going on to headline horror features; Hale starred in the 2018 film "Truth Or Dare," Mitchell starred in the 2018 feature "The Possession of Hannah Grace," and Benson starred in the 2016 film "Ratter."
While two spinoffs from the original series were unsuccessful in going past a single season, news of a reboot was met with excitement from the fans of the series, who continued to keep the show's popularity alive even after the series finale. Titled "Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin," the show will be a reboot, rather than a continuation. Here's what we know about "Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin" so far.
What is the show's release date?
As of now, there isn't a confirmed premiere date for "Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin." However, the series is scheduled to begin production this summer, which means it is likely to make its premiere in 2022. Based on the show's premise, it is unlikely to have an extensive post-production schedule, as there are no supernatural elements that would require effects work, like its predecessor "Ravenswood."
"Pretty Little Liars" found success as a summer series when it initially aired on ABC Family. While each season was split into two parts, the first half regularly premiered during the month of June, a pattern that was not repeated with either of "Ravenswood" or "Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists," the two spinoffs to emerge from the original show. "Ravenswood" made its premiere in October, while "Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists" made its premiere in March. Neither show made it beyond a season.
Based on this, it seems likely that the best time for "Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin" to premiere would be June, like the original series. Based on the limited success the spinoffs have had, the creative team behind this incarnation will be sure to take that into account when deciding on when to air the show's first season.
Who is in the cast for the new series?
As of now, there are two confirmed cast members for "Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin." Chandler Kinney has been cast in the role of Tabby, a horror movie fan who wants to become a director. Kinney has been seen previously in the Nickelodeon series "The Haunted Hathaways" and the Amazon series "Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street," and the Fox series "Lethal Weapon." In the latter, she played Riana Murtaugh, the teenage daughter of Detective Roger Murtaugh.
The other person cast in the show is Maia Reficco, who will be playing Noa, a track and field star at the school who was in juvenile detention for the summer and is now working to make her life normal again. Reficco is best known for playing the main character of Kally in "Kally's Mashup," a musical telenovela that ran for over 100 episodes on Nickelodeon Latin America. This is Reficco's first TV role since the end of "Kally's Mashup" in 2018.
Since the original series revolved around five leads, this is not the last of the casting news, as this show similarly promises to be an ensemble series. However, given the fact that "Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin" is a new story from a new creative team, it's unlikely that any of the primary cast members from "Pretty Little Liars" will make an appearance on the show. If they do, they might play new characters, rather than previously established ones.
What is the plot of Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin?
"Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin" will revolve around the inhabitants of the town of Millwood. The town harbors a dark secret based on events that happened 20 years ago, and in the present day, a group of teenage girls will become the new group of Liars when they get targeted by an unknown force determined to make the girls pay for their own sins — and the sins of their parents, which are wrapped up in the past events.
This reboot is particularly notable in that it will be the first incarnation of the franchise that does not have I. Marlene King as showrunner. Instead, this reboot will be overseen by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, as first reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Aguirre-Sacasa is best known for being the showrunner of the CW series "Riverdale" and "Katy Keene," the latter of which starred Lucy Hale in the titular role, as well as the Netflix series "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina." Per Deadline, Aguirre-Sacasa is co-developing the series with Lindsay Calhoon Bring, with Lisa Soper tapped to direct the show's first two episodes, both of whom Aguirre-Sacasa worked with on "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina." The show received a straight-to-series order from HBO Max (via Variety), and the first season will consist of ten episodes.
Whether this new cast and crew can capture the magic of the original series will be seen when "Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin" makes its debut on HBO Max.