Good news for fans of the original Roswell who have been eagerly awaiting a verdict on whether the pilot will continue to a full series: in the midst of the buzz of network upfront in Los Angeles this week, The CW network has made a full series order for Season 1 of the reboot to premiere in 2018. Fifteen years after the original Roswell ended its first run on the WB and UPN after three much-loved seasons, Roswell will be returning to light up TV screens once more – this time, with a twist. The series is based on the original Roswell High book series by Melinda Metz, the same series the original TV show was based on during its 1999-2002 run.
Bringing this beloved series back to life, with a team of producers, is superstar producer Lawrence Bender. A producer who’s shaped the cinematic landscape for decades with his culture-defining contributions, Bender is an executive producer on the series alongside Kevin Kelly Brown, who was also an EP on the original series, and partners from Amblin TV.
Deadline.com was quick to share the good news along with information about the Roswell reboot’s pot and storyline:
“After reluctantly returning to her tourist-trap hometown of Roswell, NM, the daughter of undocumented immigrants discovers a shocking truth about her teenage crush who is now a police officer: He’s an alien who has kept his unearthly abilities hidden his entire life. She protects his secret as the two reconnect and begin to investigate his origins, but when a violent attack and long-standing government cover-up point to a greater alien presence on Earth, the politics of fear and hatred threaten to expose him and destroy their deepening romance.”
Although the original Roswell cast has now aged out of the teenage roles they once played, their batons are being picked up by a fresh face of young, hot talent. Leading the charge is Jeanine Mason in the show’s lead role as Liz Ortecho, who’s fresh off the sets of Grey’s Anatomy after breaking into the American conscience through her time on Season 5 of So You Think You Can Dance. Mason has since enjoyed roles on shows including Of Kings And Prophets, Bunheads, You’re The Worst, Awkward and in films including The Bling Ring, Glassy, Default and The Archer. However, Roswell marks the first time Mason is stepping into the lead, and there’s high hopes for her ability to set the tone for a fantastic ensemble cast that will be playing opposite her.
Within this cast are names including Nathan Parsons (True Blood), Lily Cowles (BrainDead), Trevor St John (Containment) and Heather Hemmens (If Loving You Is Wrong). Production will take place where the show is set, in New Mexico, where the immigration drama can play out against the backdrop of the town’s proximity to the Mexican border.
Roswell wasn’t the only reboot picked up by the CW, with a reboot of Charmed also heading to the network for fans to enjoy later this year. The 90s are making a comeback, and they’re doing so in a dramatic way. Fans of the original Roswell have the opportunity to revisit the beloved town and characters with a new perspective, and an audience who would have been too young to watch the show during its first run will be able to bring fresh viewing blood to the table and a hungry appetite for more to come beyond this first confirmed season.
This isn’t the only project that’s kept Lawrence Bender busy this year. His successful series Seven Seconds launched on Netflix around the globe recently, to much acclaim. A crime drama that takes place across the course of ten episodes, Seven Seconds follows the investigation into the death of a young black male at the hands of a white cop in small-town America. Bender’s also currently in post-production for his upcoming feature The Widow, which is tentatively slated for premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in September 2018 off the back of the film’s Cannes 2018 announcement.
Roswell premiere dates are yet to be announced, so keep your eye out for more news from this exciting project.
