PEACOCK ANNOUNCES STRAIGHT TO SERIES ORDER OF NEW DRAMA ‘VAMPIRE ACADEMY’ FROM JULIE PLEC

• Peacock today announced a straight to series 10-episode order for VAMPIRE ACADEMY, from Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group and executive producer Julie Plec (“The Vampire Diaries,” “The Originals”), which she is adapting with longtime collaborator Marguerite MacIntyre, who will also serve as executive producer and co-showrunner.
   
• From executive producer Julie Plec comes a story of romance, friendship, death, sex, and scandal. VAMPIRE ACADEMY is based on a series of young adult paranormal romance novels by international bestselling author Richelle Mead. In a world of privilege and glamour, two young women’s friendship transcends their strikingly different classes as they prepare to complete their education and enter royal vampire society. This serialized and sexy drama combines the elegance of aristocratic romance and the supernatural thrills of the vampire genre.
   
• “Julie Plec created one of the biggest fan-favorite  universes with ‘The Vampire Diaries’ and its spin-off series ‘The Originals’ and ‘Legacies,’ and we are excited to deliver this passionate audience a brand new story on Peacock,” said Lisa Katz, President, Scripted Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “Julie is known for binge-able, enthralling dramas and we know VAMPIRE ACADEMY will keep Peacock viewers right on the edge of their seats.”
   
• The book series is a personal favorite of Plec’s, who read them in the early 2000’s well before her time on Vampire Diaries. “When I signed my new deal with Universal Television, they asked what project I had always been dying to make and my immediate answer was ‘Vampire Academy,’” said Plec.
   
• “From ‘The Vampire Diaries’ to ‘The Originals,’ Julie has mastered captivating audiences with memorable characters, compelling storylines and delicious escapism,” said Erin Underhill, President, Universal TV. “VAMPIRE ACADEMY delivers them all! We are very excited to see Julie’s ambitious and creative vision of this distinct world come to life, and can’t wait to share the series with Peacock viewers. I have no doubt fans will love what she’s cooked up.” 
   
• VAMPIRE ACADEMY is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group. Julie Plec will serve as showrunner, writer and executive producer for the series. Marguerite MacIntyre will serve along with Plec as writer, executive producer and co-showrunner. Emily Cummins, Don Murphy, Susan Montford, Deepak Nayer, Jillian DeFrehn also serve as executive producers.
   
• ABOUT JULIE PLEC: Julie Plec is a creator, showrunner and executive producer, most notably responsible for the complete “Vampire Diaries” Universe (“The Vampire Diaries,” “The Originals,” and “Legacies”), which has spanned eleven years and 300 episodes of television. Plec is also an executive producer of “Roswell, New Mexico,” which was recently renewed by the CW for a fourth season, along with “Legacies.” She recently signed a major overall deal with Universal Television, under which she is developing projects across all platforms for the studio, including those she will create and write, and those for which she will supervise writers under her banner, My So-Called Company.
   
• ABOUT MARGUERITE MACINTYRE: Marguerite MacIntyre is a versatile writer, producer and actor. After working as an actress on and off Broadway and in TV and film, in 2011 Marguerite turned her focus to writing, adapting Liz Tigelaar’s novel, “Pretty Tough” for Tornante and Hulu. Since then she has written and produced three seasons of the genre hit “The Originals,” limited drama series “Containment,” and was consulting producer on Season one of “Legacies,” all executive produced by Julie Plec. She reteamed with Tigelaar for two seasons of the Golden Globe nominated comedy, “Casual,” and recently was Co-Executive Producer on limited series “From Scratch” starring Zoe Saldana adapted from the memoir by Tembi Locke for Hello Sunshine, 3 Arts, Cinestar and Netflix.