Practice your best shush face, because Pretty Little Liars is coming back — and we have “A” lot to unpack.
Less than five years after the original PLL ended its seven-season run on Freeform (and less than three years since we got its short-lived spinoff The Perfectionists), the twisted teen franchise is getting the reboot treatment via HBO Max.
Titled Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, this new series (premiering July 28) is still technically “based on” Sara Shepard’s PLL novels, but fans shouldn’t expect to reunite with any of their OG favorites. The show’s first season will introduce new characters in a new location, though you can expect them to be targeted by another textual terrorist. Let the wild speculation begin!
Read on to find out everything we know (so far) about Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, then drop a comment with your thoughts on HBO Max’s reboot.
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WHAT: 'A Brand New Set of Little Liars'
Image Credit: HBO Max screenshot “Twenty years ago, a series of tragic events almost ripped the blue-collar town of Millwood apart,” reads the reboot’s official logline. “Now, in the present day, a group of disparate teen girls — a brand-new set of Little Liars — find themselves tormented by an unknown ‘A’ssailant and made to pay for the secret sin their parents committed two decades ago… as well as their own.”
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WHERE: 'Miles Away From Rosewood'
Image Credit: HBO Max screenshot Though Original Sin‘s official logline confirms that Millwood is located “within the existing Pretty Little Liars universe,” it also confirms that “we find ourselves miles away from Rosewood.” (Yes, it actually italicizes the word “miles.” Take that as you will.)
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WHO: Bailee Madison as Imogen
Image Credit: Courtesy of HBO Max The former Good Witch star will play Imogen, a “true survivor,” according to the character’s official description. “Like all of the Liars, Imogen is a final girl. She will drive the mystery of uncovering ‘A’ as she fights for her life and the lives of her friends.”
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WHO: Chandler Kinney as Tabby
Image Credit: Courtesy of HBO Max Disney Channel vet Chandler Kinney will play Tabby, described as “an aspiring director and horror movie buff. Like the other Little Liars, Tabby’s hiding a secret.”
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WHO: Maia Reficco as Noa
Image Credit: Courtesy of HBO Max Broadway star Maia Reficco will play Noa, a “striving, sardonic track star who’s working hard to get her life back to normal after a summer spent in juvenile detention,” according to the character’s official description.
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WHO: Zaria as Faran
Image Credit: Courtesy of HBO Max Zaria will play Faran, a “poised, disciplined ballerina with aspirations to make it out of Millwood,” according to her official description. “But ‘A’ isn’t the only villain in Faran’s life. In the world of ballet, it is death by a thousand microaggressions.”
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WHO: Malia Pyles as Minnie
Image Credit: Courtesy of HBO Max Pyles is playing Minnie, the youngest Liar. “Having survived a childhood trauma, Minnie spends most of her time in a virtual world,” according to Minnie’s official character description. “But she is more than capable of taking on the dark forces of Millwood — including ‘A.'”
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WHO: The Moms
Image Credit: John Nacion/Everett Collection, Priscilla Grant/Everett Collection And because no PLL story would be complete without a crew of (presumably) wine-chugging moms, here are the women responsible for raising the Liars:
* Broadway legend Lea Salonga will play Minnie’s mom Elodie. “A bit overbearing, Elodie works overtime to keep her daughter safe following a trauma that occurred when Minnie was just a little girl.”
* Sharon Leal (Supergirl) will play Tabby’s mom Sidney, the “main Pretty Little Liar matriarch.” A real estate agent and single mother, Sidney is always working hard to provide the best life for Tabby.
* Carly Pope (Popular) will play Imogen’s mom Davie. She and her daughter “have always been two against the world, but a chilling reminder from Davie’s dark past upends both of their lives.”
* Elena Goode (As the World Turns) will play Noa’s mom Marjorie, a nurse at Millwood General. “Though she loves her daughter, Marjorie’s hiding a secret that threatens their relationship.”
* Zakiya Young (Iron Fist) will play Faran’s mom Corey. “Once her marriage to Zeke dissolved, Corey sought greener pastures in Pittsburgh, working as a paralegal, though she tells everyone she’s a lawyer.”
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WHO: The Men
Image Credit: Carson Rowland/Instagram And here are the guys — both romantic and familial — in the Liars’ immediate orbit, most of whom will probably be accused of being “A” at least once per episode:
* Carson Rowland (Sweet Magnolias) will play Chip. “Like Tabby, Chip is a major film buff. And he’s not-so-secretly crushing on her.”
* Jordan Gonzalez (The L Word: Generation Q) will play Ash, a “handsome transgender student at Millwood High and romantic interest to Minnie.”
* Ben Cook (The First Lady) will play Henry, an “arrogant yet deeply talented ballerino at Millwood high, and partner to Faran — on and off the stage.”
* Elias Kacavas (Euphoria) will play Greg, Karen’s “picture-perfect boyfriend by day. By night, they share a secretly tumultuous relationship echoing that of Karen’s own parents.”
* Benton Greene (Riverdale) will play Zeke, Faran’s “adoring father. Zeke struggles to navigate the hardscrabble world of the steel mill and the frilly, feminine world of ballet that his daughter inhabits.”
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WHO: The Creative Team
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix, The CW Considering Original Sin hails from executive producer/writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa — one of the key minds behind Riverdale and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina — and co-EP/writer Lindsay Calhoon Bring, who also worked on CAOS, it’s safe to say that we’re in for another dArk ride.
Additional executive producers include Michael Grassi, Caroline Baron, and Alloy’s Leslie Morgenstein and Gina Girolamo.
