CW boss weighs in on future of The Originals

When The Vampire Diaries ends, will The Originals continue on past the flagship?

The Originals was not among the seven CW series that scored early renewals on Sunday, mostly because the show doesn’t launch its new season until March 17. But its future remains up in the air as TVD ends its run.

“Julie [Plec] and I spoke ahead of time about this,” CW President Mark Pedowitz said at the Television Critics Association’s press tour on Sunday. “The Originals has not yet premiered for the season. It’ll probably be a discussion in May. I’m a big Julie Plec fan. I’m hoping The Originals will continue. A lot of it will depend on performance.”

For its upcoming season, The Originals will jump ahead five years, picking up at least two years ahead of The Vampire Diaries’ timeline. However, that doesn’t negate crossover before TVD goes off the air, as Matt Davis’ Alaric will make his way to New Orleans in the eighth episode of The Originals‘ new season.

The Originals returns Friday, March 17 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.