In what’s becoming a growing trend for HBO as it looks to quickly find content to fill its burgeoning streaming service, a True Blood reboot is in early development, according to Variety. While little is known about the network’s plans for the vampire series that ended its seven season run in 2014, and turned Alexander Skarsgard into one of Hollywood’s most sought after hunks, the original series creator and showrunner Alan Ball will executive produce the reboot. As of this writing, none of the original cast are attached to the project.
Based on the “The Southern Vampire Mysteries” books by Charlaine Harris, the original True Blood series starred Anna Paquin as mind-reading Louisiana waitress Sookie Stackhouse and followed her as her romance with Vampire Bill (Stephen Moyer) led her to a world of warring vampire clans, shape-shifters, witches, fairies, and a beefy werewolf played by Joe Mangianello.
During a 10-year-anniversary showing of the True Blood pilot at the 2018 Vulture Festival, Ball revealed some of the big name actors who almost starred in the show. Jessica Chastain auditioned for Sookie, and a Jennifer Lawrence almost starred as the shape-shifting “were-panther” Crystal, which would have seen her have a very graphic relationship with Ryan Kwanten’s Jason Stackhouse. Ball decided against casting Lawrence after the cast and writers voiced their concerns. “But all the women in the room, because she was going to be Jason’s girlfriend, and she was 17 at the time, were like, no, that’s gross.”
As for the part of vampire king Eric Northman, Ball had no one else in mind except Skarsgard, which, clearly, was the right call.
(Via Variety)