HBO has canceled the reboot of True Blood, TV Line has reported. The series was in development since December 2020 with Riverdale creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa attached as executive producer and co-writing the script with Jami O’Brien. Furthermore, Alan Ball, who created the original True Blood was set to return as executive producer. Per HBO and HBO Max CEO Casey Bloys, the series is dead because “nothing… felt like it got there.”
In February 2021, Bloys noted that there was “no green light imminent on” the reboot though the series had “a writer working on an idea for sure, but I think that it’s fair to say it’s not quite as far along as people think. It’s [not] coming on the air next year. It’s a long way away from that.” Further adding, “We’ll have to see how it comes together. Like with any development, you want to see [if] it [is] a story worth telling. Is it engaging? Does it add to the original? And we’ll see.” Seems like the premium network finally moved on from the reboot given it currently holds fan-favorite titles like The Last of Us and House of the Dragon.
The original fantasy drama was a smashing hit for the network enjoying a seven-season long run. Based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries, a series of novels by Charlaine Harris, the original series followed Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress, who falls in love with a 174-year-old vampire Bill Compton. The series was different from other vampire-based settings as, in the True Blood universe, an invention of a synthetic blood product branded "Tru Blood" allowed vampires to "come out of the coffin" and let their presence be known to mankind which creates its own kind of problems while the vampires' struggle for equal rights and assimilation. Many fans had their own interpretations of the themes of the series which made it quite popular.
Who Starred in True Blood?
Over its seven-season run, the series had many nominations and won several awards, including a Golden Globe and an Emmy. The first five seasons of the series enjoyed high Rotten Tomato ratings while the last two seasons didn’t have a great reception from critics and the audience alike. The series cast Anna Paquin as Sookie Stackhouse, Stephen Moyer as Bill Compton, Sam Trammell as Sam Merlotte, Ryan Kwanten as Jason Stackhouse, Rutina Wesley as Tara Thornton, Chris Bauer as Andy Bellefleur, Nelsan Ellis as Lafayette Reynolds, Jim Parrack as Hoyt Fortenberry among many others.
All seasons of True Blood are available on HBO Max.