Casting Secrets, Spinoffs and Reboot Thoughts

It’s been 15 years since audiences have been first launched to Mystic Falls and its vampires, love triangles and teenage drama. And nonetheless, The Vampire Diaries holds a particular place for a lot of viewers.

Vampire Diaries premiered on The CW on Sept. 10, 2009, and ran for eight seasons,. Now, to rejoice the milestone anniversary, showrunner Julie Plec seems to be again on the collection she created with Kevin Williamson and and the way it launched a supernatural franchise.

She recollects desirous to “inform a very emotional story that was attractive and romantic and scary and all of the issues,” whereas additionally creating “one thing that felt timeless, that might dwell on and proceed to really feel like anyone, any era at any time can hook up with it.”

And to perform that, Plec and Williamson knew they needed to construct a strong staff that might produce tales with “artistic integrity and that we’re deeply emotional and extremely entertaining.”

In addition they wanted the right solid as constructing profitable onscreen relationships is a “very sophisticated dance,” says Plec. Particularly when the viewers needed Damon [Ian Somerhalder] and Elena [Nina Dobrev] collectively, even once they made him “worse and meaner and extra murderous and extra despicable.”

However to their shock, they finally turned The Vampire Diaries into a whole tv universe, with two profitable spinoffs — The Originals and Legacies — in addition to launched the careers of Dobrev, Somerhalder, Paul Wesley, Kat Graham, Candice King and extra.

Beneath, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Plec seems to be again at The Vampire Diaries 15 years later, in addition to her profitable tv profession as a complete. She additionally reveals her favourite episode and opens up about casting challenges, navigating onscreen romances, the second she knew she created one thing particular — and teases if there could possibly be extra Vampire Diaries tales to inform sooner or later.

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While you assume again to 2009, as you’re getting ready for The Vampire Dairies to premiere, what’s the very first thing that involves thoughts?

Kevin would say continuously that we had a 50/50 likelihood of driving the wave of the vampire craze, or being those that put the ultimate nail in. We had Twilight and True Blood, and also you at all times have a threat whenever you’re chasing a zeitgeist second that it will possibly completely backfire on you or then it may ship every part that everyone desires and we didn’t know if we have been going to succeed or fail. So going right into a present, we knew we have been happy with it and we have been proud of the best way it was turning out, however we had no thought the way it was gonna be obtained and it was equal elements thrilling and terrifying.

Wanting again to the start, may you’ve predicted what the present was going to show into to, or that it will launch two profitable spinoff collection?

Once we began, it was actually only a easy strategy at adapting an previous e book collection [The Vampire Diaries by author L. J. Smith] that basically spoke to Kevin and I for 2 totally different causes: he was an enormous fan of Darkish Shadows rising up; and I had turn out to be, within the late ’90s, a large fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. To not point out each of us had learn Anne Rice and all of the books and all nice vampire films. We’re simply large followers of the style itself. So we have been simply excited to get in there and inform a very emotional story that was attractive and romantic and scary and all of the issues.

I don’t assume both of us was ever wanting down the street to a franchise alternative, however it was the darn Originals that got here round and have been so good. And it’s conceptually the thought of an unique household of vampires, the origin story of the species in our world, coupled with extremely profitable casting. Joseph Morgan and Daniel Gillies and Claire Holt, particularly, opened the door for extra alternatives that we hadn’t even considered till it grew to become very apparent that it was the correct and excellent factor to do.

It sounds prefer it was a pleasant shock.

Completely! The books talked about the Originals, however hadn’t actually constructed out a household dynamic. And one factor that you simply do in writers rooms continuously when you’re introducing new characters is you attempt to determine: what’s the emotional core of who they’re, even when they’re villains and what are their highly effective, emotional relationships? Kevin and I at all times have to try this with the villainous character, as a result of we’re massive believers that the villains are at all times the heroes of their very own story. You actually wish to give them a deep set of desires and wishes that you’d give to your hero. So it simply grew to become this actually nice alternative to construct a extremely dysfunctional 1,000-year-old historical past of youngsters of abuse, and the way that each introduced them collectively in probably the most intense manner and likewise how they perpetuated that abuse with one another. And the thought of, is that this cycle one thing that we are able to break or are we fairly actually trapping it for all eternity?

It was such a special set of thematic concepts than what we have been doing in The Vampire Diaries, which is actually all about grief and household and loss, that it felt like we have been in a position to watch a completely new story with out retreading an excessive amount of acquainted territory. That’s the chance you create with a second present and generally it will possibly really feel such as you’re simply retreading the primary one with totally different folks in it. We actually needed to keep away from that entice and had lots of thrilling conversations about how one can make the Originals really feel like a extra Shakespearean model of what The Vampire Diaries had been.

How was it working alongside Kevin Williamson to assist make the present such a success?

The thrilling factor about collaborating with Kevin Williamson is that his mind works in ways in which nobody can predict. In consequence, he’s the one which comes up with the plot twist that nobody can predict. Typically the most effective factor you are able to do is simply again and watch as his story mind. I name it the story blender the place each different author within the course of will take all their concepts and drop it into the story blender, after which Kevin will hit on and it’ll spit up the one factor none of us ever considered, which after all turned out to be the best factor or probably the most shocking factor. His existence and the best way his mind works is its personal model of a grasp class in plot twists and profitable storytelling.

He would pitch me issues and my jaw would simply drop to the ground. I’d be like, how does your mind do that? And he mentioned, “Properly, when everybody’s going in a single path, I attempt to take a look at it and say, what’s the path no one’s wanting in?” And that’s the lesson that I took from him after which proceeded to show all the opposite writers over 13 years of three totally different reveals. So in a manner, he’s kind of the godfather of everyone that got here out of that trilogy and franchise and all of the writers that began with us, the employees writers who at the moment are all creators and showrunners in their very own manner. 

You have been additionally juggling The Vampire Diaries and The Originals on the similar time for a number of years. What was that like?

It was an train in delegation (laughs) and prioritizing. I spent the primary couple of years with Kevin after which with out Kevin on Vampire Diaries, actually feeling just like the world would cease spinning if I didn’t have my hand in each small piece of it. And that sort of unimaginable consideration to element may end up in actually high quality tv, however it will possibly additionally slowly drive an individual mad and drive one to darkish and scary locations. It was kind of similar to bodily well being and emotional survival.

So watching The Originals, 4 years into The Vampire Diaries got here kind of hand in hand with me having realized how necessary it was for me to begin empowering different folks and my companions on the staff, to show them extra, to allow them to do extra, to let go of issues. And in doing so, actually found the energy of the writing staff, particularly Caroline Dries and Mike Narducci. I used to be then in a position to depart Caroline with Vampire Diaries in order that she was day-to-day and take Narducci over to the unique in order that he was day-to-day, in order that I may keep concerned in each. I feel it was Carol Mendelsohn who mentioned, “You by no means depart the mothership.” And I discovered that early on in Vampire Diaries, you by no means depart the mothership since you at all times wanna just remember to’re taking good care of the mother and father of something franchiseable. As a result of if that falls aside and if that fails, then your foundations have crumbled. So it’s actually necessary to me to by no means stroll away from Vampire Diaries irrespective of how busy I received, irrespective of what number of reveals I used to be juggling.

One other author who was added to Vampire Dairies in season three, who actually did such extraordinary work over time with Brett Matthews, who grew to become my work husband as I name him, and actually was the center and soul of Legacies. And so discovering individuals who cherished the present as a lot as I did after which could possibly be my companions as we constructed the franchise into a number of reveals. 

I additionally realized you’ve had at the very least one present on the air since The Vampire Diaries premiered. What do you make of that?

I really feel actually happy with that run for 15 years, and really feel like with We Had been Liars popping out subsequent 12 months, theoretically, {that a} run can and may proceed. So it’s good to be nonetheless in it, versus wanting again on one thing that has ended. And looking out ahead, there’s hopefully much more to come back.

However the factor in regards to the Vampire Diaries franchise was after we began in Atlanta, all of us have been new; new to one another, the crew was new. And over the eight years of Vampire Diaries, we watched crew members develop up from day taking part in to gaffers and VPs. Certainly one of our day participant teams grew to become the most effective boy after which a key grip after which went on to do Marvel reveals. We had ADs who grew to become administrators and script supervisors who grew to become administrators and the editors who grew to become producers and administrators and the the ecosystem actually grew. I at all times used to say, we go to highschool for 4 years after which if we’re fortunate, we go to college for 4 years. And that eight-year window constructed all of your most formative and strongest relationships. And we had that journey with one another over the eight years with Vampire Diaries. So in lots of methods, persevering with the franchise with The Originals, after which finally with Legacies, was as a lot about retaining the story alive because it was about retaining that ecosystem driving and rising and retaining the crew and the machine that made the reveals, giving the chance and retaining everyone working and constructing that precise crew household, which actually, was a really highly effective, highly effective connection over the last decade and a half.

You have been additionally engaged on reveals within the supernatural area for thus lengthy with The Vampire Diaires, The Originals and Legacies, however your most up-to-date present, The Ladies on the Bus, is the exact opposite being a political drama. How was it shifting away from the supernatural style?

That was such a thrill to have the ability to try this present. And that present is fully credited to Greg Berlanti who I went to varsity with, and we’ve been associates for 30 years and he known as me out of the blue 5, six years in the past and mentioned, “I’ve your subsequent present. It’s good for you. You’re doing it,” and instructed me to go take a look at Amy Chozick’s e book Chasing Hillary, particularly the chapter that was known as “The Lady on the Bus.” And he was proper as a result of he and I share a love for the West Wing. We share a love for The American President. We share a love for politics typically. And at all times, at all times, at all times, I’m trying to inform tales in regards to the founding household, and that’s one of many foundational flags of the tales I like to inform. So it simply hit all of the packing containers for me, intellectually and emotionally, and the best a part of it was, it was the primary time I used to be making a present that wasn’t for broadcast. … [and] freedom that exists whenever you’re gonna have a little bit bit more cash and also you’re not attempting to stick to behave breaks and operating time and what your character can put on.

Additionally to have a writers room the place we have been simply writing the script with no limiting manufacturing deadline … all these issues that come together with making reveals for broadcast. So all in all, regardless that the model I received to write down didn’t find yourself because the model that made it onto the air, … that was enjoyable to have the ability to be the creator/showrunner of half A after which finally the manager producer of half B.

You talked about your upcoming TV adaptation of We Had been Liars. What are you most enthusiastic about that and might you tease something for e book followers? I do know you’ll be reuniting with Candice King [who played Caroline on Vampire Diaries] as effectively.

I’m so excited! This e book is a e book I’ve cherished because it was printed in 2014, and I attempted a number of occasions over the past decade to get the correct to the power to make it right into a TV present and it took a few failed makes an attempt and different folks dropping out earlier than Carina Adly MacKenzie and I have been granted the correct to do it with Common and Amazon. Our aim is to ship probably the most romantic, lovely, mysterious, sharply humorous, deeply cowardly, emotional, coming-of-age love story and older generational. We’re capturing the final episode proper now of the season and it feels actually good. It’s a job that Candice was born to play, so I’m actually excited to offer her the chance to step into an grownup function, now that she is an grownup after sort of rising up together with her, we have been one among her first performing jobs.

Going again to Vampire Diaries, the present catapulted so lots of the actors into fame. When do you know you had one thing particular with that solid?

I feel we had particular person moments when capturing the pilot the place we had a kind of clear understanding that like, “oh wow, Nina Dobrev actually is aware of how one can hit these scenes.” And Nina and Paul Wesley have this unimaginable chemistry and Ian as Damon is simply this depraved delight, and you may kind of see the person success tales early days. I feel I saved ready for that second the place it felt like abruptly everybody was so well-known, just like the Twilight story or the Beverly Hills, 90210 moments or the screaming ladies of the mall appearances. However it all simply kind of occurred organically over the eight-year expertise that abruptly the present was extremely profitable and extremely standard and long-running with out me ever having observed.

I feel that the present grew to become its most profitable one way or the other over the past 5 years [during] COVID or Netflix or no matter. I shall be strolling down a European metropolis avenue and a waitress will run out of a restaurant as a result of she noticed me strolling by and he or she’ll come out and say hello to me and he or she acknowledged me. And I’m like, whenever you get to that time that individuals in international lands are recognizing the author of a TV present, then I feel the TV present should have made a fairly large impression globally. In order that’s been kind of a wild trip seeing the viewers develop and develop and develop in world methods, and multi-generational methods. 

Do you recall every other high contenders for the lead roles of Elena, Damon and Stefan?

The curler coaster of casting the leads was kind of hilariously well-documented as a result of we actually struggled with all three roles. Nina got here in early within the course of and was sick, and so we sort of didn’t look twice at her and he or she needed to struggle to be seen once more and put herself on tape in order that we’d take a second take a look at her when she felt higher. And it got here completely, proper on the time after we have been kind of throwing our palms up within the air. And we have been immediately thinking about Ian as a result of I had really been a fan of Younger People … anyway, so he tanked [his audition] and he is aware of he tanked and everybody is aware of he tanked and it’s cannon at this level. However we had a second the place we have been like, effectively, if he’s not our Damon, then who’s? After which Paul Wesley got here in amidst a sea of 10 different doable Stefans. And Kevin and I — we’ve additionally mentioned so I don’t really feel like I’m speaking shit — simply thought he [Paul] was too previous, and so we mentioned, “No, we don’t need him. He’s too previous.” After which the community mentioned, “Properly make him Damon as a substitute of Ian.” And we have been like, “Oh, no, we are able to’t try this. A horrible thought.”

So Kevin and I have been just like the final two folks to be on board the Paul Wesley prepare, and it wasn’t actually till his first day capturing when he was capturing within the cemetery with Nina Dobrev in a scene the place they run into one another for the primary time within the cemetery the place we have been like, “Oh my God, we have been so mistaken. How embarrassing as a result of he’s good.” I do know we have been chasing, in a technique or one other, all the probabilities with the covenants, , Steven Strait, Sebastian Stan, Taylor Kitsch Taylor Kitsch, however it actually turned out to be, I don’t assume we may have finished a greater job.

Pondering again, do you favourite reminiscence from the present or set that involves thoughts?

There are two. One is after we did the finale, I feel it was episode 172 and eight years of working collectively. So each time we shot on the set for the final time, I’d make a speech in regards to the set and what it meant to us and we’d all take a second and say goodbye to the set. And each time we shot out one among our actors for the final time, I’d give a speech once more and we’d all say goodbye to the actor and the actor would say goodbye to the character, and it was only one massive weepy sob fest for about two straight weeks. It’s simply actually emotional and actually lovely and also you don’t actually get to really feel these emotions except you’ve been at it with one another for that lengthy.

After which, socially, there was this little tiny bar that was the dimensions of like a small New York studio condominium, however it had an enormous patio that we used to go to on Friday nights if we wrapped in time or on Saturday nights and meet as much as have drinks and the supervisor there grew to become our buddy. And so he would allow us to keep till after closing and we’d generally be there hanging out and consuming till six o’clock within the morning. Actually, I feel one of many explanation why the crew and the actors on this specific present have been so shut is as a result of the quantity of wine consumed at this wine bar at three o’clock within the morning on the weekends. After which they tore it down and actually paved paradise and arrange a parking zone, so it’s not in existence and it’s the factor that we in all probability all as a gaggle miss probably the most.

What are you most happy with with The Vampire Diaries?

What actually sticks with me is, one, that we’re now 15 years after the launch of the primary present and persons are nonetheless 15 years later discovering it new and loving it and/or rewatching it. It simply doesn’t go away and we are able to actually thank streaming for that. In order a lot as we are able to all be unhealthy at streaming for our personal causes these days, I nonetheless really feel very grateful to the success the present discovered initially on Netflix after its personal success on The CW. I really feel actually happy with the content material itself as a result of Marcos Siega who directed the pilot mentioned to us, “We’re not making a TV present, we’re making a collection of small films and every part that we do, we should always strategy with the cinematic integrity and storytelling integrity of a function movie.” And Kevin and I actually took that to coronary heart after which I attempted to maintain that going for all of the years later, by no means settling for reasonable storytelling, by no means settling for the rushed episode.

I do know lots of showrunners who discuss a 22-episode season they usually say not everybody’s a winner. And I’d at all times say that’s not acceptable to me. If it’s not a winner, we’re gonna work as exhausting as we are able to within the time that we now have to make it a winner. And if we run out of time, then we’ll settle, however till then each episode must be nearly as good because the final. … And I really feel happy with after we have been in a position to actually obtain that and I additionally settle for that there are occasions we simply flat out couldn’t and that’s OK too. As a result of whenever you get that deep into reveals, generally the viewers is simply so invested and so engaged with the characters that they’ll forgive the writers generally.

And I really feel actually proud in regards to the careers that have been launched each on in entrance of the display and behind the display over the past 15 years. So many individuals on The Originals, we gave the primary tv writing job to Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson who’ve now gone on to have their wonderful success with Yellowkackets. And Caroline Dries who’s now a creator/showrunner. So many individuals, however I’m simply happy with the truth that I may take a look at that have as a little bit little bit of a coaching floor for folks as I used to be studying on the job. However I lastly realized that as I used to be studying, I wanted to ensure different folks knew what I knew. So we have been all in it collectively and I’m pleased that now everyone will get to try this on their very own.

And I’m proud that we made folks cry lots as a result of actually, that’s why I received into tv storytelling is as a result of I grew up in a household that wasn’t comfy expressing lots of emotion. I used to cry at film trailers and Little Home on the Prairie … and I wanted an outlet for my tears, so I channeled all of it into the storytelling in order that different folks may have an outlet for theirs.

If I’m being trustworthy, I cry each time I rewatch the collection.

I’ve yet another so as to add because you’re rewatching … when Kevin left the present originally of season three, I used to be terrified that I used to be gonna be the one to run it into the bottom and fuck all of it up. And it actually weighed closely on me and early within the season, we had simply added Mike Narducci to the writing employees and he wrote episode 5 of the third season, which is “The Reckoning.” And that was a tough episode to place collectively and a tough episode to write down, however he crushed it. And once I noticed the minimize of that episode of tv, I felt like, oh my God, I can do that, we are able to do that. We aren’t going to fuck this up. And in order that one episode particularly begin to end, the enhancing, Lance Anderson edited, it was simply actually one among my favourite episodes of the collection.

There have been so many onscreen {couples} that grew to become fan favorites over time, so how did you stability all of them whereas additionally ensuring they didn’t overshadow each other?

Constructing a profitable relationship on tv is equal elements math, chemistry after which, and fan response. I made a decision on the finish of season two that ultimately Stefan and Caroline can be getting collectively and that this was the start of a protracted, lengthy, lengthy, lengthy arc for them. I didn’t care how lengthy it took, if it took 5 years that it the present would finish with them collectively. After which actually one season later, Klaus comes alongside and with none of us doing something, aside from Rebecca Sonnenshine writing a very nice monologue, Klaus, impulsively, the chemistry between these two was so palpable that it nearly fully derailed the plan to get her and Stefan collectively. And so that you’re continuously shifting your plans, you’re abandoning plans, you’re attempting to make one thing work after which seeing, oh shoot, that doesn’t work and then you definitely gotta throw all these plans out the window, you’re reacting in actual time. The fantastic thing about broadcast is you actually simply wrote the episode a month and a half earlier and shot it like three weeks earlier after which it’s on the air. So that you even have time to let followers react and to make changes primarily based on what’s working and what isn’t. It’s a very, very sophisticated dance.

Worse is when the viewers decides that Damon and Elena have to be collectively and it doesn’t matter what we did as writers to attempt to persuade them in any other case, by making him worse and meaner and extra murderous and extra despicable, they only needed it extra. And so then we are attempting to catch as much as them and determine how one can give them what they need with out giving them what they need as a result of the minute you give them what they need, the present’s over. So then had to determine all these issues.

I noticed that you simply talked about there have been conversations surrounding a Vampire Diaries film at a fan conference final 12 months. Do you’ve any particulars you may share on that?

You already know what, Paul Wesley and I have been actually simply texting two days in the past as a result of he noticed the information in regards to the Twilight animated present and he’s like, “Why aren’t we doing this?” And I mentioned, “Good query. We should always do that.” There’s so many alternatives to maintain this world alive and hold this franchise going. For me, it’s nearly the correct thought and the correct time, like I’m recreation. Leslie Morgenstein began speaking a few Vampire Diaries film in like season two, so I’m certain that it’s one thing that he nonetheless continues to pursue quietly. We’ve talked about every kind of various methods to revisit elements of the story that we love or to inform a brand new model of the story. I do know that these conversations are at all times occurring. I personally know that there’s a story that I want to inform if anybody can have me ultimately, so we will see. 

Do you ever take into consideration attempting to get the band again collectively for one more undertaking with the unique Vampire Diaries solid?

The difficult a part of a vampire story is that your character just isn’t purported to age, proper? So it makes it extra sophisticated, and likewise 90 % of them died earlier than the present ended, so it makes the thought of a sequel or a prequel very sophisticated. However there are nonetheless methods you can pay homage to the central characters and revisit these characters and among the concepts I’ve in my head are methods to try this. Nonetheless, whoever takes on the subsequent chapter of The Vampire Diaries’ story, if it’s me or someone else, they’ll have their work minimize out for him as a result of all these tons of of episodes throughout all three reveals, like lots of tales have been instructed, so it’s not with out its challenges however it’s a enjoyable problem. 

What would you say to the brand new viewers who’re nonetheless discovering the present for the primary time?

I’ll say that what we tried to do is make one thing that felt timeless that might dwell on and proceed to really feel like anyone, any era at any time can hook up with it. So in lots of methods, I feel that’s why it holds up over time. I will even say, being frank and self-aware, that there are issues that don’t maintain up. The world has modified and the best way that we dwell inside it and the best way that we inform tales now, it’s very totally different than maybe the best way we have been telling tales 15 years in the past. Issues like company, issues like inclusion, writing characters of colour by means of the prism of writers of colour versus simply colorblind writing and colorblind casting and not likely acknowledging race in the correct methods and studying lots of classes that over time because the world modified. So there’s loads of exhausting classes discovered that led to me making lots of totally different selections the best way I inform tales as we speak than I did 15 years in the past. However outdoors of these issues, I feel that we are able to all maintain our heads excessive and really feel fairly good about the truth that we tried to inform tales that had artistic integrity and that we’re deeply emotional and extremely entertaining. And I feel that we have been in a position to accomplish that which is one thing to rejoice.