Are you dreading the end of Pretty Little Liars and its tangled web of mysteries? E! might just have the show for you. According to Deadline, E! is rebooting '90s teen classic Jawbreaker for a new generation. The series will reportedly focus on a group of friends who cover up an accidental killing at a bachelorette party. As any PLL fan will know, things do not go well for the women from there, as their lives are overtaken by the dark secret they share.
The original film starred Rose McGowan, Rebecca Gayheart, Julie Benz, and Judy Greer as a quartet of friends who go to great lengths to hide the fact they inadvertently killed the leader of their clique. It's an absolutely pitch black comedy with shades of Heathers, and it's just enough of a cult classic no one should be too distraught by the idea of it being turned into a TV series. If anything, fans of the original should be excited.
Darren Stein, the co-writer/director of the '90s film, is working on the series, which means he has the chance to expand his vision and adapt it for an older audience. The clique at the center of the story is not only new, they are adults. That means there are plenty of opportunities for the movie's stars to appear in some form if the show is picked up. Who wouldn't love to see McGowan revisit a version of her role as the ultimate mean girl Courtney? She would make for the perfect Queen Bee of a group of elite Beverly Hills pals.
Then there is the absolute best reason to bring Jawbreaker to TV: When PLL ends, the world is going to be down one twisty, feminist mystery series. This is the first show that actually sounds like it could fill the PLL-shaped hole about to open up in the hearts of fans when the show comes to an end this summer. It has all of the right ingredients — a female friends group with a shared secret, a twisted sense of humor, and the potential to create a compelling ongoing mystery. Having it follow adults rather than teens just sweetens the deal since the core PLL fanbase are now adults themselves.
Even without a cast in place, Jawbreaker is worth getting excited over. The premise is endlessly adaptable, and anything that puts another group of morally ambiguous ladies in the spotlight sounds amazing to me. With the mystery of A about to be solved for good, it is time for TV to deliver another ongoing feminist mystery series with a dash of humor for viewers to obsess over.
I have a feeling Jawbreaker is just what the TV doctor ordered.
