Pretty Little Liarsseason 3 is not happening, as Max canceled the reboot three months after a cliffhanger ending. Hailing fromRiverdalecreator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Lindsay Calhoon-Bring, the fourth outing in the overallfranchise had a slasher movie focus, paying homage to classics of the subgenre. A masked killer stalked a new group of characters, with aPretty Little Liarsrebootcastthat included Bailee Madison, Chandler Kinney, Zaria, Malia Pyles, Maia Reficco, and Mallory Bechtel.
TVLinehas confirmed that the rebootedPretty Little Liarshas been canceled by Maxafter two seasons. The news comes exactly three months after the conclusion of the reboot’s second installment,Summer School, which wrapped up with a major cliffhanger involving the return of a former villain. Max released a statement reacting to the cancellation, with the streamer thanking Aguirre-Sacasa, Bring, and the cast and crew for their efforts:
“While Max will not be moving forward with a third season ofPretty Little Liars, we are so grateful to our co-creators, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Lindsay Calhoon Bring, as well as the team at Warner Bros. Television, for reintroducing fans to this new iteration of liars who band together to fight the latest creepy villain terrifying Millwood. Their unique and modern creative vision — combined with the immense talent of our cast and crew – gave the series a fun, horror-filled point of view that paid tribute to its original Rosewood roots.”
The Pretty Little Liars Cancellation Means A Troubling Trend Continues
Max Is Becoming The Two-Season Streamer.
A reason for the cancellation has not been specified, although it can be assumed that the show did not meet Max’s viewership targets. In any case, it continuesa troubling trend for the streamer where several originals have been axed after just two seasons. Since the launch of what was then known as HBO Max, a large chunk of its live-action scripted dramas and comedies have been axed without making it to a third season, which, in turn, makes it harder for viewers to invest in new series.
Sci-fi drama
Teen drama
Period dramedy
Crime drama
Romcom anthology
Thriller dramedy
Sci-fi comedy
Period comedy
Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin(2022-2024)
More broadly, although Max still has some returning originals, likeHacksandPeacemaker, in addition toAnd Just Like That…, the one and two-season cancellations mean thatthe streamer does not have a large slate of Max exclusives. Not counting HBO Originals, which also stream on Max, and discounting acquired and co-productions from countries outside the U.S., Max is more reliable for its existing library than its original offerings. As it stands, the streamer has only a few projects that are announced or set to debut. It was a tough trend forPretty Little Liarsseason 3to overcome despite the cliffhanger.
Our Take On The Pretty Little Liars Cancellation & Cliffhanger
Pretty Little Liars: Summer Schoolendedwith the return of Archie Waters, who shows up in the closing scene to kill off Dr. Sullivan (Annabeth Gish). It will be a frustrating end for some, with questions about why the creators decided on a cliffhanger when a renewal is not guaranteed. But it can be argued that genre shows have to leave things open to maintain conversation around the series and give a little momentum for a renewal. Unfortunately, in this case, it did not work.
Every Pretty Little Liars Easter Egg & Reference In PLL: Summer School
By including multiple Pretty Little Liars Easter eggs and references, Pretty Little Liars: Summer School provides connections to the franchise.
Max, like most streaming services, does not publicly provide viewership data. Because of this, it can be hard to say where the rebootedPretty Little Liarswent wrong. But this is an example on the current streaming slate, where it’sarguably more rewarding for viewers to check in with a show once it’s established rather than invest time in a new offeringthat may not last very long.
Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin
Cast
The dramatic slasher/horror mystery franchise returns with Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, created for HBO Max. Connecting to the original series, Original Sin follows a group of teen girls terrorized by a mysterious killer named “A.” Being held responsible for a terrible tragedy committed by their mothers over twenty years ago, the girls must uncover the truth of the incident to end the terror of Millwood, Pennsylvania - and to survive. Season 2 of the series was released in May 2024 and is subtitled Summer School.
