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Pretty Little Liars is back in a very real and nostalgic way with Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin! The original show, created by I. Marlene King based on the YA book series by Sara Shepard, is famous for its convoluted teen-murder-mystery-thriller storylines that got creepier and crazier as the seasons went on. As well as being known for keeping audiences guessing for years about what was really happening and why it always happened to the same group of friends, the biggest question all fans of the show wanted to know was "Who is A?". There was a wider assumption that with understanding who A was, then the motive and reason behind the years of destruction and near-deaths would suddenly become clear. Whether this clarity and resolution actually happened in the Pretty Little Liars series finale is debatable, but there is no denying the highly entertaining and dramatic ride that those seven seasons provided.
Though the show went on to have various spin-offs, none of them matched the level of mystery, voyeurism, and suspense that the original show had, and ultimately struggled to find their audience leading to them being canceled quickly. In September 2020, however, HBO Max gave audiences a sneaky tease that A is back in the latest Pretty Little Liars installment, making this sound like the most promising continuation of the series yet.
Editor's Note: This piece was updated on July 6 to include the most recent trailer.
When and Where Will Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin Be Releasing?
After the original excitement-inducing short in 2020 (more on that below), audiences were left waiting with very few details about when the show would actually be airing. On June 16, 2022, it was finally announced that the show would be airing just over a month later, on June 28. As an HBO Max Original, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin is in an exclusive deal with HBO Max and will only be available through its service.
Is There a Trailer for Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin?
Peaking audience curiosity in 2020 was this short posted to the Pretty Little Liars Twitter feed. Old and new fans are likely to be pleasantly surprised that Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin is returning the terrifying A character, an element that has been missing in the other Pretty Little Liars spin-offs.
In this teaser trailer that has been released, audiences can automatically see that the tone of this spin-off seems to have captured the eerie, teen-drama feel that the original series did so well.
HBO Max launched the full trailer for Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin on July 6, 2022, highlighting the setup to the series and introducing fans to the new characters and their not so quaint hometown of Millwood. The trailer also highlights a more horror-tinged tone than fans might have been expecting.
How Many Episodes Will Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin Season 1 Have?
Like many other shows being produced, this season is a 10-episode series. Being the first Pretty Little Liars show ordered straight to streaming, Original Sin is setting its own precedent for episode release timing. The episodes are set to be spaced out in multiple-episode bundles. The first three episodes will be released on July 28, with two episodes released weekly after that, with the final three episodes airing on August 18, 2022.
What Is Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin About?
According to HBO Max, the official plot of the show is:
Twenty years ago, a series of tragic events almost ripped the blue-collar town of Millwood apart. Now, in present day, a disparate group of teen girls — a brand-new set of Little Liars — find themselves tormented by an unknown Assailant and made to pay for the secret sin committed by their parents two decades ago…as well as their own. In the dark, coming-of-age, horror-tinged drama Original Sin, we find ourselves miles away from Rosewood, but within the existing Pretty Little Liars universe — in a brand-new town, with a new generation of Little Liars.
As per the synopsis, the show won’t be set in Rosewood, nor surround the original Pretty Little Liars, but instead features a new set of friends facing their own Assailant and tormentor. What the show’s title, Original Sin, is explicitly referring to within the show, is currently unknown, however through its Biblical reference, and involvement of the parents’ generation, some guesses can be made.
Who Is Making Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin?
Alongside Lindsay Calhoon Bring, the creator of Riverdale and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa was rumored to have plans with HBO for a new “horror-forward” reboot two years ago. After Riverdale and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Aguirre-Sacasa reportedly wanted to reboot Pretty Little Liars, leaning into its scary features. Moving forward with the series in this way is likely to make sense to its audience, particularly as the show always had mild horror elements from the beginning. Calhoon Bring and Aguirre-Sacasa worked together on Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and were also both involved in the writing of this reboot. The show’s executive producers include Aguirre-Sacasa, with Leslie Morgenstein, the President of Alloy Entertainment, known for producing You, Gossip Girl, and The 100, as well as involvement with Gina Girolamo, also known for producing supernatural teen shows and thrillers.
Who Is in the Cast of Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin?
The new group of Liars whom all of the drama revolves around includes Bailee Madison (Bridge to Terabithia) as Imogen, Chandler Kinney (Lethal Weapon) as Tabitha, Zaria (Black-ish) as Faran, Malia Pyles (Baskets) as Minnie, and Maia Reficco as Noa. The series will also include Mallory Sharon Leal, Elena Goode, Lea Salonga, Eric Johnson, Carson Rowland, and Alex Aiono.
Is Anyone From the Original Pretty Little Liars Involved?
Unlike Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists, which included Alison (Sasha Pieterse) and Mona (Janel Parrish), none of the original cast members will be making an appearance in the reboot, according to Lucy Hale, who played Aria in the original. Following HBO Max’s official synopsis, this reboot introduces a new group of high schoolers in a different town, albeit in the same world as Pretty Little Liars, making the lack of original cast appearances not particularly surprising. Despite initial audience disappointment, this choice grants the show its own space to thrive without being subjugated to the constant comparison to the original. Based on the trailer, the tone of the show will attempt to bring the original nostalgia for the show into this story, without the need for the original cast.
If you feel like refreshing your memory or just immersing yourself in the mysterious world before you watch the new series, the seven seasons of Pretty Little Liars are currently available to stream on HBO Max.