‘True Blood’ being rebooted for HBO by ‘Riverdale’ creator

(LOS ANGELES) — Looks like True Blood is coming out of the coffin again. The beloved cast from Bon Temps is being rebooted and returning to HBO.

While not much else is known about the project, which has been in the works for over a year, Deadline reports that Riverdale creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa in talks to helm the series while Alan Ball, the original series’ creator, has signed on as executive producer.

HBO’s True Blood, which ran from 2008 to 2014 and won both an Emmy and a Golden Globe, was an ultra-streamy adaptation of The Southern Vampire Mysteries series written by Charlaine Harris.  With any adaptation, however, the HBO series took a few liberties to engage a TV audience… Such as creating new characters and changing the fates of others.

Deborah Ann Woll’s character, Jessica, who was introduced in the first season, was created specifically for the HBO series but never appeared in the novels.  Another big change in the TV adaption was made for scene-stealer Lafayette, played by the late Nelsan Ellis, who was originally killed off very early in the novels.

It is unknown if the new reboot will be more faithful to the novels or will go in a darker direction as seen by Aguirre-Sacasa’s interpretations of Riverdale and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

But, the big question from fans is who Sookie Stackhouse, who was played by Anna Paquin, ends up with in the new version.

In the final episode of the HBO adaptation, Sookie compassionately kills her lover, Bill Compton, played by Stephen Moyer — which enraged fans.

However, in the final Southern Vampire Mysteries novel — Dead Ever After — published in 2013, the series ends with Sookie not ending up with a vampire, but marrying Sam Merlotte, the true shapeshifter — which also enraged fans.

By Megan Stone
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.