‘The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones’ Sequel to Return as TV Series

Studio bosses have decided to forego a big screen sequel for The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones and are opting to adapt the fantasy film into a TV series instead.

Production for The Mortal Instruments: City of Ashes was shelved after the first instalment of the young adult franchise flopped globally, making just over $100 million and reportedly failing to break even.

Movie executives at German company Constantin Film announced in late 2013 that the follow-up would begin production in early 2014, but those plans fell through as well.

Now Constantin Film’s head of film and TV, Martin Moszkowicz, tells The Hollywood Reporter they are scrapping plans for the film altogether and will bring author Cassandra Clare’s series to television instead.

He explains, “It actually makes sense to do (the novels) as a TV series. There was so much from the book that we had to leave out of the Mortal Instruments film. In the series we’ll be able to go deeper and explore this world in greater detail and depth.”

Moszkowicz has hired TV veteran Ed Decter to serve as executive producer for the series. His previous credits include writing and producing for shows including In Plain Sight, The Client List and the recently cancelled Unforgettable.

Former real-life couple Lily Collins and Jamie Campbell Bower starred in the big screen version of The Mortal Instruments, and were expected to return for the sequel, but it is unclear whether they will return for the TV series.

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