True Blood to live again: a reboot of HBO's vampire drama is in development
The classic series is reportedly being rebooted by the creator of Riverdale.
HBO's steamy Southern vampire drama True Blood is reportedly being resurrected, with the Riverdale creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa believed to be executive producer on the reboot.
TV Line is also reporting that the creator of the original show, Alan Ball, will be involved as executive producer.
True Blood ran for seven seasons between 2008 and 2015 and was still rating strongly for HBO when it was cancelled.
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HBO programming boss Michael Lombardo said at the time: "Every season we sit down with the creator and say ‘Tell us what the next year will be like.’ And if there aren't exciting, unbelievable, undeniable ideas in the coming season, we’re questioning. And I think in the case of True Blood, it just felt like we had reached a place where the storytelling was hitting a wall. And to stay just because the ratings were strong felt not who we are and we needed, quite honestly, the money and Sunday night space for new shows."
True Blood was based on 13 fantasy novels by Charlaine Harris, set in the fictional town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. Screen Rant reports that, despite strong numbers, HBO felt it strayed too far from its core when Ball departed as show runner after five seasons.
It would appear that the five-year absence of the show, which introduced telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) and her lover Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) to the world, has allowed new ideas to flourish.
Aguirre-Sacasa is expected to co-write the pilot episode with Jami O'Brien, who created AMC’s supernatural thriller NOS4A2.
TV Line suggests that O'Brien will also work as executive producer alongside Aguirre-Sacasa and Ball.
Aguirre-Sacasa is very much a show runner of the moment: besides the success he's enjoying with Riverdale, he is also the writer and producer for the "coming of rage" Big Little Lies spin-off, Big Little Liars.
HBO is yet to officially confirm the reboot is happening.
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