The hit TV show Pretty Little Liars is the latest series set to get the reboot treatment, three years after its end in 2017. The show ran for seven seasons on Freeform and was followed by spin-off Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists which ran for only one season last year.
Source: IMDb
The rebooted version of the show will reportedly be run by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, creator and showrunner of the CW’s hit show Riverdale. No network is yet attached, though it seems likely the show will find a home at HBO Max given that the original series is currently hosted there. HBO Max is also the home of the planned Gossip Girl reboot. Like Pretty Little Liars, this cult series was also (loosely) based on a YA book series.
Very few details are known yet about the rebooted series. Currently, the latest news from The Hollywood Reporter is that the story will feature new characters and a new story. Aguirre-Sacasa is set to write the script, but it is unclear whether original showrunner, I. Marlene King, will have any involvement with the project. It’s also uncertain if any of the show’s original cast will make appearances. The series is set to be produced by Aguirre-Sacasa and Alloy Entertainment’s Leslie Morgenstein and Gina Girolamo.
Series star Lucy Hale, who played Aria Montgomery, went on to star as Katy Keene in Aguirre-Sacasa’s short-lived Riverdale spinoff. It lasted only one season and was cancelled back in early July. Hale has previously spoken about wanting to be involved in any Pretty Little Liars reboot, stating in an interview back in May: “I’m so protective of this show. I feel like when the time comes that they want to do it with a whole new cast, I might have to produce it because I’m way too protective of it”. However, fans will have to wait and see if Hale actually ends up being involved in the reboot or not.
Source: Amino Apps
Previous spinoffs of Pretty Little Liars such as Ravenswood in 2014 and The Perfectionists only managed to last a season each. Considering that the main series only ended three years ago, it seems that it is too soon for the series to be rebooted. However, if the new show attracts the same passionate fanbase as the original, it may be that it has a good chance of doing well. One thing we know for sure is that the rebooted series is still in the very early planning stages. Only time will tell whether Pretty Little Liars getting the “Riverdale” treatment works out or not.
Words by Jo Elliott
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