Based on E. Lockhart’s novel, the series will pack an emotional punch.
Jessie Redmond/Prime8BIM
For Cadence Sinclair, one summer changed everything.
For theWe Were Liarsadaptation, change took a bit longer.
Emily Alyn Lind as Cadence, Esther McGregor as Mirren, Joseph Zada as Johnny, and Shubham Maheshwari as Gat on ‘We Were Liars’.Credit:Jessie Redmond/Prime8BIM
In 2014,E.
But the book would come back around.
So, once again, they said (a temporary) goodbye.
Emily Alyn Lind as Cadence Sinclair on ‘We Were Liars’.Amazon Prime
“They were so thoughtful,” Lockhart tells EW.
And they were readers of the book.
They were paying attention to the story as it was told in the book."
Emily Alyn Lind as Cadence and Shubham Maheshwari as Gat on ‘We Were Liars’.Jessie Redmond/Prime8BIM
“I put adaptations into three categories,” Plec says.
Two is what I’ll call theVampire Academycategory, which is: ‘These books are great.
You should adopt as much of that storytelling as you’re free to.’
David Morse as Harris Sinclair on ‘We Were Liars’.Jessie Redmond/Prime8BIM
And then there’sThe Vampire Diaries, which is like: ‘Thanks for your characters.
We’re going to do our own thing.’
Lockhart was on board with the series making changes.
Caitlin FitzGerald as Penny, Candice King as Bess, and Mamie Gummer as Carrie on ‘We Were Liars’.Jessie Redmond/Prime8BIM
“A TV show and a novel are so radically different,” the author says.
A TV show is never centered on solely the experience of a single character."
As MacKenzie puts it, “What ultimately ended up happening is we stay pretty true to the book.
It’s in there, but we added a lot.”
The young cast really spans the spectrum when it comes to Hollywood experience.
“Emily is probably the most experienced in that group of four,” MacKenzie says.
“She’s been on set since she was a baby with her mom [Barbara Alyn Woods].
For Plec and MacKenzie, who worked together onThe Originals, casting King was a no-brainer.
“From the beginning, we wanted her voice,” Plec says.
David Morse as Harris and Rahul Kohli as Ed on ‘We Were Liars’.Amazon Prime
“She auditioned,” MacKenzie says.
“We did present other options.
We wanted to cast her because she was perfect for it, and she really was.”
The Sinclair family gathers together on ‘We Were Liars’.Jessie Redmond/Prime8BIM
And about the age?
Mackenzie adds, “These ladies are very wealthy.
They get lots of good skin treatment.”
But how closely the show will follow the book after that remains to be seen.
“It actually provided us two opportunities.
But don’t let the “gentle” phrasing fool you.
This is stillWe Were Liars, and this journey is not going to be a simple one.
And we wanted to capture that like a perfume scent.
And I think we did.”
All episodes ofWe Were Liarspremiere June 18 on Prime Video.
