Lucy Hale‘s got a secret that she doesn’t want to keep it any longer: Her new CW showKaty Keene, which premieres Thursday night.
“It’s a passion project because I’ve been part of it since almost the beginning,” Hale, 30, tells PEOPLE. “We’ve been putting our heart and soul into it. It’s been like a little secret we’ve been sitting on for a while so I’m very excited to share it with everyone.”
The series, aspinoff ofRiverdale, follows aspiring fashion designer Katy (Hale) as she navigates her career andher relationshipwith her longtime wrestler boyfriend, supporting her friends and roommates along the way. One of those roommates isRiverdale‘s Josie (Ashleigh Murray), who comes to New York City to pursue a career in music.
Barbara Nitke/The CW
Aside from one familiar face and the occasionalRiverdalecallback, Hale saysKaty Keenedoesn’t rely much on its CW counterpart — orNetflix’sChilling Adventures ofSabrina, which hails from the same Archie universe and creator.
“People are calling it a spinoff but it’s a completely different show,” the actress says. “It stands alone on its own. I was really curious whenKaty Keenegot brought up to me because I assumedKaty Keenewould be a lot like those two shows and to my surprise, it was so completely different and tonally was on the opposite side of the spectrum. People could watchKaty Keeneand never have seen an episode ofRiverdale.”
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Katy Keeneviewers can expect more New York City glitz and glam than Riverdale murder and secrets. “It’s about friendships and about finding yourself in your mid-20s,” Hale says. “It reminded me a lot of my story in L.A.”
Coming fromPretty Little Liars, —whose fans floated theories about the identity of killer A for seven seasons and screengrabbed every frame of the show for clues — she feels prepared to join another massive fandom.
“I think I’m ready [to be part of a show like that],” says theKyleenaspokeswoman, who partnered with the brand for its #whyIUD campaign to help women make informed decisions when it comes to their health and their birth control.
WhileKaty Keenerepresents a departure from dusting for prints and getting locked in a coffin on the beloved Freeform series, Hale returns to her creepy roots for thrillerFantasy Island,opening Feb. 14. The scary take on the ’70s series follows Hale’s character arriving for a dream vacation where her wildest dream comes true — until it turns into a nightmare.
Lucy Hale in Blumhouse’sFantasy Island.Christopher Moss/Sony Pictures
And she still fields theories fromPretty Little Liarsfans who have opinions about how theshow ended in 2017.
“I hear it all day every day,” Hale says. “It will probably always be like that, but it’s a good problem to have. If people want to call me Aria, that’s fine. I would just say, please watchKaty Keeneas well.”
Katy Keenepremieres Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.
source: people.com
