The creators of Pretty Little Liars: Summer School have discussed the possibility of more original characters returning. After the end of the long-running teen mystery drama Pretty Little Liars in 2017, the franchise continued with the short-lived 2019 spinoff The Perfectionists. In 2022, the show was relaunched once again with Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, a slasher-forward show that was renewed for a second season with a new subtitle, Summer School. Whether it’s Pretty Little Liars: Summer School season 2 or simply a third season with a new subtitle, another season seems entirely within the realm of possibility.

Deadline recently spoke with Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin creators Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Lindsay Calhoon Bring in the wake of the Summer School finale. While discussing the future of the show, they shared their thoughts on further original characters appearing after Annabeth Gish reprised her role as Dr. Sullivan in six episodes of Summer School. Aguierre-Sacasa said that it could happen as long as it felt “organic and right” for the story, while Calhoon Bring hinted that “we’ve definitely talked about making those visitations.” Read their full quotes below:

Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa: I think in Season 1, we made the conscious decision to reference a couple of things like Rosewood and the Radley Asylum and things like that. But we were really focused on building this version in this town of Millwood. I think Dr. Sullivan was so seamlessly integrated in Season 2. Should there be a Season 3, and we’re so hopeful, I think it would just have to feel totally organic and right. We would love it, but what would drive it is the story and it really making sense. Lindsay Calhoon Bring: That’s exactly right. By the way, we’re fans. Our writers are fans. Our cast are super fans who are constantly asking when are we writing in Troian [Bellisario] and when are we writing in Lucy [Hale]? Is Alison gonna make an appearance? For Season 2, we didn’t think ‘Oh, we have to connect to the original universe.’ We thought, ‘These girls need therapy. Oh my God. There is a connection there that is organic.’ But we love the show. We love the world. We love Rosewood, and, should there be a Season 3, we’ve definitely talked about making those visitations.

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Lindsay Calhoon Bring’s reference to finding an organic way to bring the returning therapist character into the fold highlights the fact that any returning character would have to be a natural fit for season 3, if it ends up being renewed. Because there is no information on where the story could go in a future season should that happen, it is difficult to determine which original Pretty Little Liars cast members would be the best fit to reprise their roles. However, all of the stars who played the show’s longest-running main characters are still active in the industry.

Of the three stars who were mentioned specifically by Calhoon Bring, Lucy Hale seems like the most likely to return in the project. Hale has starred in multiple prominent projects in the horror genre since the end of Pretty Little Liars, particularly the Blumhouse outings Truth or Dare and Fantasy Island, so the horror-inflected new season might be appealing to the star. Although they are both still active, Troian Bellisario has taken on more straight dramas than genre titles and Sasha Pieterse (who played Alison) hasn’t returned to episodic television since 2019, when she played Alison in The Perfectionists.

The season after Pretty Little Liars: Summer School could also feature almost any of the other major characters from the show. This includes Ian Harding (Ezra), Ashley Benson (Hanna), and Shay Mitchell (Emily). The only key long-running main cast member who may not be able to return is Laura Leighton, who played Hanna’s mother Ashley Marin and who is currently attached both as star and executive producer to a reboot of her 1990s primetime drama Melrose Place that is in development and thus may keep her busy during the time that season 3 would be coming together.

Source: Deadline