The CW’s hit series Supernatural wrapped up last year, but this doesn’t mean that the network gave up on its prized franchise. According to multiple reports, The CW recently teamed up with show’s lead Jensen Ackles to develop a Supernatural spinoff.
Ackles will work with his wife and former Supernatural co-star Danneel Ackles to create a prequel series titled The Winchesters. Robbie Thompson, who worked on the original show, is currently writing the script.
The new series focuses on John and Mary Winchester, parents of the Supernatural duo Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Ackles). It will tell “the epic, untold love story of how John met Mary and how they put it all on the line to not only save their love but the entire world.”
Ackles will return in his role of Dean in The Winchesters, serving as a narrator for the prequel. It is unclear whether Padalecki is involved in the new show in some capacity.
Confirming the news to Deadline, Ackles said that he wanted to do this project for a while and that the story of John and Mary was something he always wanted to explore further. “I always felt like my character, Dean, would have wanted to know more about his parents’ relationship and how it came to be. So I love the thought of having him take us on this journey,” said Ackles.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Samantha Smith starred as John and Mary in the original show. Mary was killed by a demon six months after giving birth to Sam as shown in the pilot episode. After her death, John decides to become a demon hunter and then passes the skills to his children. He dies in the opening episode of season two.
The Winchesters will be The CW’s third attempt to create a Supernatural spinoff. The network previously tried developing spinoffs Supernatural: Bloodlines and Wayward Sisters, but neither progressed farther than a backdoor pilot.
