The Vampire Diaries franchise may be done, but creator Julie Plec is staying plenty busy these days. With a number of shows in development, and the vague possibility of the TVD franchise's return, she is making sure to stay occupied. Now there's another new project making waves, as Plec is set to bring another super-popular YA book series to the small screen: We Were Liars.
Julie Plec and Roswell, New Mexico co-creator Carina Adly MacKenzie are handling E. Lockhart’s suspense thriller We Were Liars for Amazon's Prime Video, which has brought the project in for a development phase, according to Deadline. The adaptation is part of a trio of deals Plec, her My So-Called Company banner, and Universal Television made with Lockhart earlier this year, and the three aforementioned talents will serve as executive producers should the project go forward.
Published in 2014, We Were Liars is a psychological horror YA novel that has received critical acclaim, such as winning the Goodreads Choice Award for Best YA Fiction and being listed as an ALA Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults in 2015. It centers on the affluent Sinclair family, who spend every summer lounging around their private island. (Totally relatable, no?) But the annual lapse in luxury takes a turn when the 15-year-old daughter Candace experiences something mysterious that she can't remember, which sparks her and three friends to re-address the incident two years later.
At this point, it's reported that a mini writers' room has been set up within Amazon. Plec is set to write the first episode, with MacKenzie penning the second.
We Were Liars is just the latest book-to-series adaptation that Julie Plec has in development. In September, her Vampire Academy adaptation premiered on Peacock to solid reviews, and while Peacock has yet to announce a renewal, it wouldn’t be surprising if it happens. Meanwhile, Plec’s deal with Universal Television has also led to development on five other new shows, which is on top of other projects that she previously had in the works.
Despite working on a slew of new shows, The Vampire Diaries is still near and dear to Julie Plec’s heart. She is teaming up with her TVD co-creator Kevin Williamson for a comic book series, an adaptation of Ryan Parrott’s Dead Day. There’s also the fact that Plec isn’t completely ruling out a return to TVD someday following Legacies’ abrupt cancellation, but at least she is pumping out shows while fans wait for a possible Mystic Falls comeback.
With any luck, We Were Liars is on the road to viewers with Amazon Prime subscriptions, but stay tuned for updates on that front. Also, check out CinemaBlend’s 2023 TV schedule to see what’s coming out next year, as one of Julie Plec’s many upcoming shows may be popping up in the near future.
