Fans of “The Vampire Diaries” won’t be seeing any familiar faces or Easter eggs in Peacock’s new teen series “Vampire Academy” — at least not right away.
“We made this agreement early on that we wouldn’t do anything to muddy the two worlds with each other,” Julie Plec, who co-created both teen vampire shows, exclusively tells Page Six.
Plec adds that the team specifically decided against casting any actors from “The Vampire Diaries” or its spinoffs “just to make sure the two felt completely independent of each other.”
But, she couldn’t resist teasing, “We also really like those people, so it’s entirely possible that we will find a way to bring them along one of these days and start having a little fun with the crossover worlds.”
“Vampire Academy” is based on the young adult book series of the same title and follows best friends, one a powerful royal vampire and the other a half-vampire guardian, as they finish their education and enter society.
“Theres something so alluring about that world, about castles and ball gowns and tiaras and all the political intrigue,” Plec tells us, adding that co-creator Marguerite MacIntyre is “obsessed” with “palace intrigue” and “Regency era stuff.”
“I don’t mind a little palace intrigue,” MacIntyre says. “One of my little secret side things is I do read the royal gossip, partly for the gossip and partly because the politics are so wild to me.”
MacIntyre admits she couldn’t turn off Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview in 2021, in which the couple accused the palace of racism and revealed the “Suits” alum suffered from suicidal thoughts.
“I needed to hear those words, everyone did,” MacIntyre, who starred as Sheriff Liz Forbes on “Vampire Diaries,” says. “That’s resonating in a million directions.”
Plec first read the “Vampire Academy” series when it came out in the late aughts but at the time was a new TV writer.
“There was not a person on this planet that was going to look at me and say, ‘Hey, what do you want to make?’” she says with a laugh, adding that it took until 2020 for someone to finally ask her, and “Vampire Academy” was still on her mind.
“This world is so different than anything I’ve ever done before,” she says. “The world build is so layered and so sophisticated and involves royal intrigue and horror and romance and politics and all of it.”
“Vampire Academy” premieres Sept. 15 on Peacock.
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