Kevin Williamson and Paul Wesley have come a long way from Mystic Falls, but their relationship continues with CBS All Access’ forthcoming series Tell Me a Story.
Tell Me a Story is a reimagining of the most beloved fairy tales, as the Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel come to life as dark and twisted psychological thrillers interweaving against the backdrop of modern-day New York. Wesley reunites with his former Vampire Diaries boss on the series.
“If you love The Vampire Diaries then I think you’ll love this a lot,” Williamson told the crowd gathered in Ballroom 20 at Comic-Con for the series preview. “We pack in so much rapid storytelling. We go a mile a minute but we slow down for the emotional moments. We have cliffhangers, which I love to write. Because of cable and streaming we get to go to some new places.”
Related Stories
The panel opened with a first-look trailer for the new series (which at press time was not being released to the public). That debuted to cheers when fan-favorite Wesley appeared in what serves as his first series regular role since wrapping eight seasons on The CW drama. For his part, Wesley is excited to introduce a new character to his fans, one that’s much more age-appropriate. “I’m a man in my mid 30s,” he says with a laugh. “I was playing a 17-year-old and now I get to play a man in my 30s.”
And because Tell Me a Story is airing on CBS All Access and not on broadcast, that means that Wesley is playing a considerably darker character than his time on younger-skewing broadcaster The CW. “You don’t have to adhere to broadcast standards,” Williamson says of Wesley’s new role. “It’s grounded in a real way. That means it’s messy, it’s sexy, sometimes it’s bloody.”
“Sometimes words slip out that don’t have to be censored,” Wesley adds with another laugh. “This is very different from what you’ve seen from me on The Vampire Diaries. I’m a big fan of Kevin’s. And I’m really interested in being on a streaming service. There are no inhibitions. It’s a great change.”
A premiere date for Tell Me a Story has not yet been set, but Williamson hints that it might drop in October. The series will stream on CBS All Access.
