The cast ofPretty Little Liarshas agreed that they would be open to the idea of reviving the show, but it would require a different direction. A combination ofI Know What You Did Last SummermeetsGossip GirlmadePretty Little Liarsan unexpected hit for ABC’s cable channel Freeform. The show ran seven seasons, and saw a raft of character arcs, plot twists surrounding theidentities of Pretty Little Liars' vengeful antagonist ‘A’, romances, and unexpected deaths. The show was well received by critics and developed a cult following globally.
Speaking toTHR, for a retrospective of the show turning 15, cast members Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, Tyler Blackburn, Shay Mitchell, Sasha Pieterse, and Ian Harding revealed they would be open to a revival as long as one condition is met. Discussing the chances of a reunion nine years after the series finale, the general consensus among the cast is that any revival should be done via a movie. Bellisario and Blackburn suggest it would have to be a movie, and would need to explore what the characters are doing in their lives now. Check out their comments below:
BELLISARIO:It would need to be a film because I don’t think it could sustain another season. But definitely, it would be really cool to see what’s going on with these characters. We love them so much. They were in our lives for seven years, and now they’ve been out of our lives for seven years. So it’s the perfect time to see where they are.
BLACKBURN: I would love to do [a film]. I always thought also that the show could be really badass if it was not on a family network. If it was a film that was at least PG-13, we could make it a little bit more intense and gory or gruesome or sexy.
BENSON:Maybe Hanna could finally be “A!” I’ll do it if she can be “A.”
MITCHELL:I always told Marlene and all the girls know that I think in the future, there could be something where we all get back together and do something fun, like Sex and the City did. I think that could be cute if we were to all agree to do it. I would always be down for that. They know that. It would have to be a whole group situation. I can’t do it without my girls.
PIETERSE:I’m always open to that idea. I love everybody that we worked with. It would be a fun thought experiment to figure out what it would look like for our characters if we all came together.
HARDING:I’d love to see where those characters are now, but it also depends on the script and the story and who was involved. So yes, I’d be very open to that. And if it isn’t made into a movie, I think I’d also be OK with where it was left.
What This Means For The Future Of Pretty Little Liars
The Time Could Be Right To Revisit These Characters
Pretty Little Liarswas a runaway success on releaseand has been regarded fondly in the years since it ended. Therefore, the time could be right to revisit the show and its characters. Despite three failed spinoff shows, thePretty Little Liarsfranchise still has a passionate fan base, especially when it comes to how beloved the characters are.The cast and characters inPretty Little Liarshelped to make the narrative work as well as it did, and the fact that they are open to return should be a positive thing.
The comments suggest this is something that has been discussed among the cast, and Bellisario is probably right that a movie would be the best play. However,aPretty Little Liarsmovie could be a way to revive the original story and characters, while also operating as a metaphorical passing of the torch in case the movie winds up spawning a reboot of the series. With a dearth of iconic teen drama shows on the air right now, the time could be right to revisitPretty Little Liars.
Our Take On A Pretty Little Liars Revival
It Feels Unlikely, But Cast Interest Is A Huge Plus
Right now, it seems unlikely that aPretty Little Liarsmovie is going to happen, especially nearly a decade after the show ended. A TV reboot series is possible, but that may not happen for a while. However, there are a lot of successfulshows likePretty Little Liarsthat show the formula works.
The fact that the original cast is on board with the idea, however, is interesting, and this does mean that a revival should not be ruled out. With Hollywood always looking to revisit popular properties,Pretty Little Liarscould end up returning in some form at some point. As long as there is a strong script, aPretty Little Liarsreboot revisiting the original characters could work.
Pretty Little Liars
Cast
Pretty Little Liars is a Teen Drama and Mystery series based on the novel by Sara Shepard. The show was created by Marlene King and stars Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, and Holly Marie Combs. The series revolves around four friends who meet back up with one another and begin to receive strange threats from an unknown source simply labeled “A.”
