Official social media channels for HBO Max's Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin dropped a massive teaser revealing the new cast in an eerie fashion. In what appears to be reminiscent of old movie flyers, the PLL accounts released five images of the cast screaming at the unknown. Coming only two weeks after the official trailer release, each poster introduces the new characters of the upcoming spin-off brilliantly.
The sinister first look of the show leaves fans with a sense of impending doom and a mysterious inkling that the teen drama will have them just as hooked as the original Pretty Little Liars series. Hopefully, the reboot will come to fruition with success following the premiere on July 28.
Promising a new generation of liars, the Pretty Little Liars reboot recieved a series-to-order task from HBO in September 2020. It follows the original Pretty Little Liars show, which built an incredibly large fan base. The series maintained a consistently high viewership, becoming an on-screen favorite that is comparable to The Vampire Diaries spin-off Legacies which was recently canceled.
When the show first aired in 2010, it followed the story of a close-knit group of friends in a small-town, in a coming of age rocked by psychopathic danger narrative. With each painstakingly thrilling episode, the series became an even bigger hit, focusing on four friends attempting to face the challenges of high school following the disappearance of the leader and fifth member of their clique.
Throughout the original series, friends Hanna, Spencer, Emily and Aria received anonymous messages that threatened their livelihood, the wellbeing of loved ones, and left them feeling hopeful that their missing friend, Alison, may still be out there. In Pretty Little Liars, the showrunners found a unique balance in tackling various controversial scenarios that kept viewers coming back again and again. It mixed in romance, secret affairs, sexuality and more, while still maintaining the underlying themes of danger and suspense.
After airing for seven riveting seasons, the show was cancelled and the cast did not return to explore the next chapter. Since the cancellation, there have been two spin-off series created. The first was a 2013 adaptation called Ravenswood. The show followed a male lead and fan favorite from the original series, Caleb Rivers, and only lasted one full season before getting the boot.
In 2019, Freeform attempted to reignite the flame for the PLL brand once more by bringing in original cast member and actress, Sasha Pieterse, in another new spin-off branded Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists. Fans were ecstatic to see one of the original five members back on their screens but disappointed when Freeform canceled the show after the first season.
With both spin-offs being scrapped just after the ten episodes, it makes sense that fans could be a little wary in showing their excitement for Original Sins. Perhaps the third shot really is the charm. With Aguirre-Sacasa leaving behind the popular hit series Riverdale, following its recent cancellation, there's hope that the Pretty Little Liars franchise will take off again with a bang when the upcoming reboot releases.
Amidst the speculation about whether the new series will be the next big trend or flop, HBO Max has been critical in its marketing. In the trailer for Original Sin, Aguirre-Sacasa homages the original Pretty Little Liars brand by keeping the trendy opening song that so many connected with. Throughout the preview, viewers witness a threatening sneak peek into the excitement that's to come.
The trailer is only a single minute long and wastes no time introducing the new cast. It doesn't appear that any of the original cast members will return for this reboot, and with the show taking place in an entirely new town, it's uncertain how exactly Original Sins will compare (and compete) with the once unmissable characters from Rosewood. Only time will tell, but if the new series is as ominous as it seems then fans are in for a rocky ride.