A Virgin River prequel series is currently in the works at Netflix.
Us Weekly can confirm that the streaming service was in development on the spinoff series. Deadline reported the news on Thursday, February 22, which also marked the first day of production for season 6 of Virgin River in Vancouver, Canada. The series is expected to come back to Netflix in 2025.
According to the outlet, the prequel would follow Mel’s (Alexandra Breckenridge) parents: Sarah Jensen and Everett Reed (John Allen Nelson). Mel found out the identity of her biological father during the Virgin River Christmas special.
Season 6 of Virgin River will tease Sarah and Everett’s origin story through flashback scenes of the couple when they were younger. Casting is currently underway for actors to play the characters in guest star capacity. They would subsequently become the leads of the prequel series in the event it is picked up by Netflix.
Showrunner Patrick Sean Smith, who will write the script, previously hinted that fans would learn more about Sarah and Everett’s romance.
“What we’re exploring more in season 6 [of Virgin River] is who Everett Reid is, what his backstory is, what his connection to Virgin River was when he met her mom and then also what it is today,” he told Deadline in December 2023, noting that the upcoming season will explore the “relationship of Everett with the town as well as Everett and Mel.”
During season 5, which debuted in November 2023, Mel learned of her biological dad through love letters he once sent her mother. Everett initially pretended not to know who Mel was but ultimately returned with a music box that featured Sarah’s voice. He told Mel he had something important to share with her before the screen faded to black.
“He’s hinting at something that will make their relationship more complicated, so we’ll say it’s negative,” Smith told Entertainment Weekly that same month.
Breckenridge, 41, weighed in on the potential revelation as well, adding, “It’s going to be a little strange. Everett says, ‘There’s something I need to tell you.’ I don’t know if that has anything to do with any of the people that she’s around in the town or Doc or anyone.”
Virgin River, which premiered in 2019, follows the lives of residents living in a small town in Northern California, including Mel and her love interest Jack (Martin Henderson). The series also stars Colin Lawrence, Annette O’Toole, Tim Matheson, Benjamin Hollingsworth, Sarah Dugdale, Zibby Allen, Marco Grazzini, Mark Ghanimé and Kai Bradbury.
Netflix has yet to announce a return date for Virgin River.
