ABC Family has handed out a straight-to-series order to drama Shadowhunters based on The Mortal Instruments book franchise, it was announced today by Tom Ascheim, President, ABC Family and Karey Burke, Executive Vice President, Programming and Development, ABC Family. The series will go into production this May in Toronto.
Based on the bestselling young adult fantasy book series The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters follows 18-year-old Clary Fray, who finds out on her birthday that she is not who she thinks she is but rather comes from a long line of Shadowhunters - human-angel hybrids who hunt down demons. When her mother Jocelyn is kidnapped, Clary is thrown into the world of demon hunting with mysterious Shadowhunter Jace and her best friend, Simon. Now living among faeries, warlocks, vampires and werewolves, Clary begins a journey of self-discovery as she learns more about her past and what her future may hold.
"Shadowhunters is a big epic saga that will resonate with viewers who come to ABC Family for the Harry Potter, Hunger Games and Twilight franchises," said Ascheim. "A New York Times bestseller for 122-consecutive weeks, with over 35 million copies in print worldwide, Shadowhunters is the perfect story to share with our audience."
Burke added, "Clary is a strong, dynamic and captivating character that our audience will immediately identify with. They will want her to succeed and will root for her on her journey to become who she was always meant to be. The series has a passionate fan base and an expansive universe that can sustain multiple seasons to come."
"I'm excited to see ABC Family bring the world of the Shadowhunters to life. As a huge fan of long-form television drama, I can't wait to see the story unfold and for the fans to have more time with the world and the characters," said Clare.
Shadowhunters is produced by Constantin Film, with Ed Decter serving as executive producer and showrunner. Casting will be announced at a later date.
