A new generation of “Pretty Little Liars” is officially on its way.
HBO Max has issued a straight-to-series order for “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin,” a reboot of the original Freeform series. New of the order comes only three weeks after the project was announced as being in development. The show hails from “Riverdale” producer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” producer Lindsay Calhoon Bring.
Set in the present day, 20 years after a series of tragic events almost ripped the blue-collar town of Millwood apart, the new “Pretty Little” liars will center around a group of disparate teen girls who find themselves tormented by an unknown assailant and made to pay for the secret sin their parents committed two decades ago.
“Original Sin” is described as a “dark, coming-of-rage, horror-tinged drama.”
“Roberto and Lindsay are expanding the ‘Pretty Little Liars’ universe with more murder, mysteries, and scandal, and we can’t wait,” said Sarah Aubrey, head of original content at HBO Max.
The show is being produced by Aguirre-Sacasa’s Muckle Man Productions and original producer Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television. Bring is serving as co-executive producer and writer, with Aguirre-Sacasa on board to write and executive produce alongside Alloy’s Leslie Morgenstein and Gina Girolamo. Like its originator, “Original Sin” is based on the bestselling series of books by Sara Shepard.
I. Marlene King, who created the original series, does not appear to be involved with the new show. King departed her overall deal at WBTV last year for a new deal at 20th Television.
“We’re such huge fans of what I. Marlene King and her iconic cast created, we knew that we had to treat the original series as #CANON and do something different. So we’re leaning into the suspense and horror in this reboot, which hopefully will honor what the fans loved about the hit series, while weaving in new, unexpected elements,” said Aguirre-Sacasa and Bring in a joint statement.
“Pretty Little Liars,” which ended its original run in 2017 after seven seasons and over 150 episodes, inspired two spinoffs, “Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists” and “Ravenswood.” Both were canceled after one season.