After a seven-year hiatus, Dean Devlin is reviving another of his most popular shows with the Noah Wyle-led trilogy of films, on which he was an executive producer. He later worked as showrunner, director and executive producer on the first Librarians sequel TV show, and has now co-developed The Next Chapter with previous developer John Rogers, and is again its showrunner.
The Librarians: The Next Chapter shifts its focus to Vikram Chamberlain, a Librarian from 1847 who, in an attempt to thwart the dictatorial threat of General Gregor, becomes trapped in a time-stopping spell, eventually rescued by Christian Kane's Jacob Stone. When his efforts to revive his Annex in Belgrade inadvertently unleash magic across the continent, Stone charges Vikram with fixing his mistakes, teaming him with disgraced historian Connor Green, failed Guardian Charlie Cornwall, and skeptical scientist Lysa Pascal, whose ancestry holds mysteries of its own.
Ahead of the show's premiere, ScreenRant interviewed Dean Devlin to discuss The Librarians: The Next Chapter. The showrunner broke down how he and co-developer John Rogers went about developing the expansion of the franchise's universe, including introducing a new set of heroes for audiences to follow, and how much the new and original shows will cross over. Devlin also shared how the new characters differ from the previous heroes, an update on season 2's progress, Leverage: Redemption season 4 chances, and more.
Devlin & Co. Took Lessons From The MCU & Star Wars For Expanding The Library
He Also Previews How "The Paths Of The Two Shows Collide"
The Librarians: The Next Chapter continues the franchise's trend of utilizing each new installment to expand to new characters and locations, with the original trilogy of movies focusing on Wyle's Flynn Carsen before its sequel show saw him more as a recurring star while focusing on Rebecca Romijn's Eve, John Harlan Kim's Ezekiel, Lindy Booth's Cassie and Stone. With the original Librarians show ending prematurely, and Devlin and Rogers having previously Redemption mostly focusing on the original cast, some might have expected the same for it.
Instead, Devlin explained that he, Rogers, and their writers room actually found themselves pulling lessons "from things like the Marvel Cinematic Universe" or "what they're doing with Star Wars", in which they could "tell a lot of different stories that all exist in the same place." Once they landed on this ideal, the creative duo "got really excited about thinking of what other stories could happen," particularly as they started thinking, "Where else have there been Annexes?", "What adventures happened at those Annexes?" and "Who was the Librarian" in the Serbian-set one in 1847.
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"That began a whole brand-new story," Devlin explained, "So, for us, it's really fun to expand the universe of The Library, but also, in our minds, the original show was still going on. In other words, those adventures are still happening."
With Vikram's Annex still being tethered to The Library, the opportunity seems open for the new cast of characters to cross paths with the original Librarians characters. When asked how much crossover they may be, Devlin pointed out Stone's appearance in the pilot, in which he "allowed them to have these six months to try and clean up the mess they made". The showrunner did, however, tease that across the 12-episode first season, "the paths of the two shows collide", and audiences "will see some other faces from the original show".
One face, though, that Devlin notes Librarians fans may not want to hold their breath for is that of Wyle returning as Flynn. The five-time Emmy nominee, who is also a recurring hero on Devlin and Rogers' Leverage: Redemption, has also been busy this past year with the critically acclaimed Max medical drama The Pitt. According to the Librarians showrunner, while Wyle is still involved in The Next Chapter as a producer, there's another reason why his return may not be impending:
I think that he's holding out to actually be The Librarian again in either a movie, or if we get a chance to revive the original series. I think he's holding out a little bit, but we will see some other faces from the original show.
The Next Chapter's New Cast All Brought Something Fresh To Their Characters
One Star "Really Earned The Part" After Devlin Had A Different Actor In Mind
Driven by the idea of telling a completely new story in the franchise, Devlin and Rogers also had the opportunity to offer different takes on the iconic archetypes of the previous Librarians characters. Bluey Robinson's Connor has the same adoration for history as Stone, but isn't looking to keep his knowledge a secret. Instead, he wants to restore his reputation after being ostracized due to his belief in magic. Olivia Morris' Lysa has all the same scientific intelligence as Cassie, but is a skeptic of all things magic, and Jessica Green's Charlie knows her destiny belongs with The Library, unlike the doubtful Eve.
In reflecting on the casting process for these new characters, which he described as "incredible," Devlin revealed that Robinson was the first person they brought on to the Librarians: The Next Chapter roster. The showrunner revealed Robinson was actually brought to his attention by someone on his writing staff, who Devlin had previously "found from the show Doctor Who" before enlisting him for the original Librarians, and happened to know the actor directly, telling Devlin, "I think I've got the perfect guy for you."
Devlin warmly recalls their first meeting with Robinson, in which "soon as we met him, we all just fell in love." The showrunner also took a moment to highlight his actor's musical abilities, recommending his YouTube channel to see the videos of the star singing, which he describes as being "absolutely incredible."
I was like, "Oh, that's our guy."
From there, the casting continued with Morris as the second confirmed star, recalling her work in RRR as being "phenomenal," followed by McGowan, who Devlin says "really earned the part" of Vikram after the showrunner had a different actor in mind for the role.
"It was the day of the final callbacks, and he showed up, and he raised his game, and I was blown away," Devlin described. "I was like, 'Oh, that's our guy.'."
The final main cast member to The Librarians: The Next Chapter was Jessica Green, with whom Devlin had previously worked on the fantasy series The Outpost. For the showrunner, however, what made him really excited to reunite with Green was her off-camera personality, which he finds "equally, if not more important than what she brings on camera."
"I like to call her 'The Sunshine,' because every day, she shows up with the most unbelievable attitude, and she raises everyone's spirits," Devlin warmly shared.
"Doing these shows is hard. You work 14–16 hours, sometimes in not great conditions, and she always brings the sunshine. So, I think she's a big part of the reason that this cast gelled so well together, and really created this amazing family on set."
In looking at how the new lead Librarian, Vikram, compares to Flynn, Devlin acknowledges that they "share DNA" in their dedication to education, with the latter having "spent his life in academia" and earned 27 degrees, while his adventures had him "experiencing the world for the first time, a world he'd only read about in books," and thus shared a feeling of being "a fish out of water." However, where the two differentiate, according to the showrunner, is that "Vikram has a very healthy ego," or, as he chuckled, "not-so-healthy ego," and refers to himself as "The Naughty Librarian" as he uses magic.
Charlie & Lysa's Arcs Will Lead To Some Emotional Places
"She's A Bit Overzealous"
As introduced in the pilot, Charlie is actually a former Guardian who is given a second chance by Stone to protect the new cast of characters, though the exact reason as to why she was cut isn't fully revealed. While Devlin is careful not to share too much information about how this arc will evolve over the first season, the showrunner did confirm that in the years since the original show ended, the original Librarians "decided that each one of them should have their own Guardian," and "brought in several to be auditioned," but "Charlie didn't get the job."
"But, while she was basically auditioning for it, she fell in love with The Library, and really felt that this was where she was meant to be," Devlin described. "So, in the pilot, Stone gives her a second chance, and she doesn't want to blow her shot, so she's a bit overzealous in being a Guardian this season, to try and get the job she didn't get before, and try to figure out why she didn't get it before."
As previously denoted, Lysa also marks a rare addition to the roster of Librarians in her overall skepticism regarding magic. In discussing how she would similarly evolve as the group go on new adventures, Devlin explained that part of why they started her character arc there is because "when her parents were killed in a car accident" in her teenage years, "rather than going down the rabbit hole of remorse and regret, she focused entirely on the future." This, in turn, led to her becoming "singularly focused on creating technology to predict what could happen in the future," but "hasn't looked backwards at all."
The Library is a place that houses the information of the past, and so she's found herself in a place that's really contradictory to who she is as a person at the moment that she comes here.
The CW Were "Incredible Partners" In Allowing The Librarians To Go To TNT
"We Got To Come Back Home"
One of the surprising developments to come ahead of The Librarians: The Next Chapter's release was the announcement that The CW had dropped the show, with TNT quickly picking it up and renewing it for season 2. In reflecting on this shift, Devlin clarified that the network didn't drop the sequel show, but rather that Sam Linsky from TNT, "who had been with the show from the very, very beginning," reached out about bringing it to its home network.
Devlin itted that he had "never heard of that happening," but wanted to "give it a try," subsequently talking with the representatives at The CW about the possibility. Praising the Nexstar-owned network as being "terrific partners" when production ws first underway, he recalled the studio representatives sharing "we understand why you'd want to move the show" to TNT, given "it's part of the branding," and that they were "incredibly partners in helping us facilitate that move," allowing them "to come back home."
Librarians: The Next Chapter Season 2 Is Well Underway
Leverage: Redemption Season 4 May Not Come Anytime Soon, Though
The Librarians: The Next Chapter season 2 was confirmed upon the show's move to TNT, with Devlin having previously told ScreenRant that production would begin on it sometime in Summer 2025. Now, the showrunner confirmed they are "halfway through shooting season 2," calling it "incredible" while also revealing that in four weeks, he and his team will be "shooting season 3 of The Ark," calling it "a crazy year."
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One show, though, that Devlin doesn't have any updates on is Leverage: Redemption, which is nearing its season 3 finale, but has not been renewed for season 4 by Amazon MGM Studios. The showrunner confirmed he and his team "haven't heard yet" whether they will be returning for more heists, though denotes this is largely due to the fact "Amazon likes to get a lot of data," and, as such, "I anticipate it'll be a while" before a decision is made by the streamer.
They usually wait until after the last show is aired, and then they want about six more months of data afterward. I think, on one hand, it's great that they don't have to rush. But, on the other hand, it's tough, because sometimes, you go two years in between seasons. So, we're hoping we get word one way or another sooner than later.
More About The Librarians: The Next Chapter
Produced by Electric Entertainment, The Librarians: The Next Chapter centers on Vikram Chamberlain (Callum McGowan), a “Librarian” from the past who time traveled from 1847 and now finds himself stuck in the present. When Vikram returns to his castle in Belgrade, Serbia and discovers that it is now a museum, he inadvertently releases magic across the continent.
With the help of a new team of eclectic heroes, including a savant in world history, a scientific genius, and a highly skilled Guardian, Vikram has only six months to clean up the mess he made. Throughout the season, the team will embark on fantastical adventures, including a surprise reroute to a manor where Agatha Christie-styled murders take place, a time-travel back to the days of King Arthur at Camelot and even an encounter with the first-ever vampire.
Stay tuned for our other Librarians: The Next Chapter interviews with:
New episodes of The Librarians: The Next Chapter air Monday nights on TNT!
Source: Screen Rant Plus
The Librarians: The Next Chapter
- Release Date
- May 25, 2025
- Network
- TNT
- Showrunner
- Dean Devlin
Cast
Jessica GreenCharlie Cornwall-
Callum McGowanVikram Chamberlin
-
Olivia MorrisLysa Pascal
-
Bluey RobinsonConnor Green
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Dean Devlin
- Franchise(s)
- The Librarians
- Main Genre
- Fantasy
- Producers
- Dean Devlin, Jonathan English, Marc Roskin
- Seasons
- 1
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