When Supernatural came to a close at the end of 2020 after 15 seasons, it seemed like the story of the Winchester brothers may finally have wrapped up. However, as fans of the show know, nothing ever really ends, does it? The new spin-off series The Winchesters, which was first announced in June 2021, has wrapped filming on the Season 1 pilot. Daneel Ackles posted a behind-the-scenes shot via Instagram announcing they had wrapped. This is also the first look fans have had at the new series.
Supernatural ran on the CW for 15 seasons, becoming the longest-running American live-action fantasy TV series. Starring Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki as brothers Dean and Sam Winchester, Supernatural told the story of two brothers who traveled the country fighting monsters and saving people. It became incredibly popular, leading to its history-making run. However, despite trying several times over the years, Supernatural never successfully mounted a spin-off.
In June 2021, Ackles announced that his company Chaos Machine Productions, which he formed with his wife and fellow actor Daneel, would move forward with a Supernatural prequel called The Winchesters. The series would focus on Sam and Dean's parents, John and Mary Winchester, chronicling how they met, fell in love, and, of course, started hunting monsters together. The grown-up versions of John and Mary were played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Samantha Smith; however, the young versions of John and Mary frequently appeared on the show, played by Matt Cohen and Amy Gumenick. Thus, it surprised fans to find out that the two would not be returning for the new series.
In March 2022, it was announced that Meg Donnelly and Drake Rodger would star as Mary Campbell and John Winchester, depicting younger versions of the characters than previously seen on Supernatural. Donnelly is best known for her work on ABC's American Housewife and the Disney Channel's Zombie films, and will be appearing in the new season of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Rodger recently appeared in the Paramount Plus original film The In Between, starring Joey King.
While there are still a lot of questions surrounding The Winchesters, the first look of the series from Ackles evokes the same dark aesthetic of the early seasons of Supernatural. It is unclear if the Ackles' will be reprising their characters from the original series or if they are just on board as producers, but it is still reassuring that they are so hands-on with this project. There is no information yet about a release date, but hopefully with the pilot wrapping more information will be coming soon. Check out Ackles' post below: