ABC will not be getting back into the “revenging” business. It has been announced that the network has passed on a sequel series to their hit serialized drama, Revenge, which ran from 2011-2015.
When Revenge ended its initial run the network said there was interest in doing a spinoff series but nothing came of the prospect until last year when creator Mike Kelley and How to Get Away With Murder writer Joe Fazzio were reported to be working on a script for a sequel series about a brand new character. The story would be set in Malibu, California and follow a young Latinx immigrant who’s seeking revenge on a “pharmaceutical dynasty that caused the murder of her biochemist mother, the destruction of her family and a global epidemic.” It was also rumored that a character from the original show would be joining this new character on her quest for Revenge and many people thought it would be Gabriel Mann, who played Nolan Ross and Emily Thorne’s ally on the show.
Unfortunately, we don’t have a concrete reason as to why the sequel series is not moving forward. ABC has opted to pass on the show and it’s unclear if the project will be shopped to another network or streaming service. There is some speculation that the plot and its close relation to current events could be why ABC got cold feet. Considering the drama would have revolved around a global epidemic, the network may have felt this particular story now hits too close to home with the world currently in the middle of a pandemic. And since the epidemic is integral to the storyline of this new Revenge series, it’s possible it was easier for ABC to scrap the series entirely rather than try to rework it and continue development.
The original Revenge series followed Emily Thorne (Emily VanCamp), a young woman who moves to the Hamptons to avenge her father. Also starring in the series were Henry Czerny and Madeleine Stowe as Conrad and Victoria Grayson – the leaders of the family that Emily believed orchestrated her father’s downfall. The show was a breakout hit for ABC during its first season and while its live ratings faltered in subsequent seasons, the show was a huge delayed viewing earner and developed a worldwide fanbase across its 89 episodes.
