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Roswell: Vampire Diaries' Michael Trevino Joins CW Reboot Pilot
In what we're choosing to refer to as a "Peaches & Herb announcement", The Vampire Diaries star Michael Trevino is reuniting with director Julie Plec on the CW's immigration-theme-with-a-twist sci-fi reboot pilot Roswell. Joining leads Jeanine Mason (Grey's Anatomy) and The Originals' Nathan Parsons, Trevino is set to play Kyle Valenti: popular son of the town sheriff, Kyle questions his carefree outlook on life after learning the terrifying truth of his family's secret legacy.
Joining Mason, Parsons and Trevino on Roswell are Tyler Blackburn as Sgt. Alex Manes; Lily Cowles as Isobel; Michael Vlamis as Michael; and Heather Hemmens as Maria.
Though the network formally expressed interest in the project in October 2017, the CW would finally give a pilot order for a reboot of the popular sci-fi series a few months later. Still based on the "Roswell High" book series from Melinda Metz, Carina Adly MacKenzie will pen the series; and executive produce with Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank (Amblin Television), Lawrence Bender and Kevin Kelly Brown (an executive producer on the original series). The Vampire Diaries' Plec will direct the pilot; and serve as executive producer should the pilot be given a series order.
As the pilot overview reveals, this Roswell will directly address the issue of immigration on two levels: the metaphorical sci-fi theme of "aliens-as-immigrants" that was present in the original series; and the very real issues surrounding the immigration debate and the impact it has on the children of undocumented immigrants:
Reluctantly returning to her tourist-trap hometown of Roswell, New Mexico, Liz Ortecho (Mason), a jaded biomedical researcher and the daughter of undocumented immigrants, is haunted by a tragic incident. She discovers a shocking truth about her teenage crush Max (Parsons) who is now a police officer: He's an alien who has kept his unearthly abilities hidden his entire life. She protects his secret as the two reconnect and begin to investigate his origins, but when a violent attack and long-standing government cover-up point to a greater alien presence on Earth, the politics of fear and hatred threaten to expose him and destroy their deepening romance.
Roswell's first two seasons originally aired on The WB (which would eventually be rebranded The CW) from 1999-2001, with its third and final season airing on UPN. The series would serve as a boost to the acting careers of cast members Shiri Appleby (UnREAL), Katherine Heigl (Grey's Anatomy) and Colin Hanks (Fargo). The Roswell "universe" was also expanded upon between 2001-2003 through a series of novels published by Pocket Books and Simon Spotlight Entertainment.