2020 has already been a whirlwind of a year, so why not revisit the mysterious town of Bon Temps to relive the spooky, fantasy drama with a ‘True Blood’ reboot on HBO?
‘True Blood’, one of the most popular dark fantasy dramas in the history of HBO, is based on the book “The Southern Vampire Mysteries” written by Charlaine Harris. The show follows the story of Sookie Stackhouse (played by Anna Paquin), a woman with telepathic abilities, hopelessly in love with a vampire, who in turn takes her into his supernatural world. Created and produced by Alan Ball, ‘True Blood’ aired from September 7, 2008, to August 24, 2014, starring Anna Paquin as Sookie Stackhouse, Stephen Moyer as Bill Compton, and Sam Trammell as Sam. Although the creators ended the show after seven seasons on a no-more-stories-to-tell note, rumours of a ‘True Blood’ reboot in 2020 resurfaced in the recent past.
Highlights:
- A look back at the seven seasons of ‘True Blood’
- Can a ‘True Blood’ spin-off 2020 be expected?
- Will the ‘True Blood’ Season 8 cast be the same as the original?
A look back at the seven seasons of ‘True Blood’
Although both ‘True Blood’ and ‘Twilight’ premiered in 2008, ‘True Blood’ offered a lot more than shimmering corpses and cheesy vampire romance. The southern gothic mystery drama revolving around blood and sex was a leap ahead with its exaggerated fantasy and eroticism. The unapologetic over-the-top legacy of ‘True Blood’ paved the way for dramas like ‘American Horror Story’. That was not what ‘True Blood’ was all about. Season 1 drew pragmatic parallels between vampires struggling for equal rights and the LGBTQ community’s real-life struggle for the same. Those “God hates fangs” signs made sense after all, as California at the time was fighting over Proposition 8.
‘True Blood’ Season 1 showcased the hunt for the murderer seeking out women having sex with vampires. In this regard, Sookie uses her telepathic powers to try solving the crimes. Sadly, she never manages to hear anything of importance. Season 2 dives right into Greek Mythology, with the introduction of a Maenad, who inspires town-wide orgies. By this time, the show’s “magic meets eroticism” formula had already gotten fans hooked on it.
Season 3, as popularly agreed, was the show’s high point, both commercially and critically. The vampire king of Mississippi, Russell Edgington (played by Denis O’Hare), provided ‘True Blood’ fans with a series of memorable moments. Being a vampire radicalize, fans saw him bursting into newsrooms, ripping open the anchor on a live set, only to deliver an agitated anti-human rant. Fans loved what it was building up to. But, unfortunately, this was the start of the show’s downfall. With the overuse of the exaggeration trope with fire demons, witches, fairies, and even vengeful ghosts, it was a complete mess from thereon.
Can a ‘True Blood’ spin-off 2020 be expected?
A ‘True Blood’ reboot story is no longer a rumour. “TVLine” learned exclusively that HBO is in the early stages of developing a new version of ‘True Blood’. Although HBO officials declined to comment, sources close to the network claim Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Jami O’Brien will be working as writers and executive producers on the show, with Alan Ball continuing with his role as the showrunner as well as executive producer. It is indeed a fun prospect to see a ‘True Blood’ reboot on HBO. But, taking into consideration the confusing and disappointing storylines of the previous seasons, will the network be willing to take the risk?
Prior to the season finale in 2014, Michael Lombardo, programming director of ‘True Blood’, explained at the Edinburgh Television Festival,
“True Blood has been nothing short of a defining show for HBO. Every season we sit down with the creator and say, tell us what the next year will be like. And if there aren’t any exciting ideas, we keep questioning. And I think in the case of ‘True Blood’, it just felt like we were reaching a point where the storytelling was hitting the wall. And to stay just because the ratings were going strong did not speak of who we are and what we do”.
So, is there going to be a ‘True Blood’ reboot or a ‘True Blood’ spin-off in 2020? We are yet to find out.
Will the ‘True Blood’ Season 8 cast be the same as the original?
When “The Hollywood Reporter” tweeted on ‘True Blood’ making a comeback, the original cast’s reaction to the news was intriguing. Anna Paquin Reacts To ‘True Blood’ Reboot In 2020 News
Lead actor Anna Paquin wrote, “Well, this is the first I’m hearing about this”. Actor Danis O’Hare replied to Anna’s tweet with a simple “Me too”. Kathleen York, the actor playing Madeline Kapneck on ‘True Blood’, jumped into the thread saying, HBO would probably want Paquin in the ‘True Blood’ reboot in “a major way”. The banter got interesting when Paquin then told Kapneck to check her direct messages.
But unfortunately, “Variety” confirmed that none of the original cast members is slated to return for the ‘True Blood’ reboot. When fans perceived Paquin’s reply to the news as an expression of anger, the actor clarified, “Not mad, just answering the question that has inundated my feed. Xo“. “Not Mad” Responds Anna Paquin To Fans Claiming She Seemed Angry
Something’s definitely cooking, whether it’s a ‘True Blood’ reboot, spin-off, or ‘True Blood’ Season 8, is yet to be confirmed. Till then, let’s keep our fingers crossed and patiently wait for the fangs to come out! If not Anna Paquin, who would you like to see as Sookie Stackhouse in the ‘True Blood’ spin-off 2020? Tell us in the comments below!
