The CW has announced that The Vampire Diaries will end after the eighth season. Back in May, Ian Somerhalder seemed to suggest the show was coming to a close via tweet, but then retracted his statement blaming "end-of-season foggy brain." Now, it seems the show is really, officially ending for good.
Executive producers Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec announced the decision at Comic Con, and shared a farewell video from the cast to mark the occasion.
"The sun, the moon and stars aligned for me one day in March when I got the official call that I had been cast in this very special role as Damon Salvatore," Ian said in his statement. "I’m so very grateful to those who fought for me to have this opportunity (you know who you are), for those that have worked so hard to make this show happen, and to those that have loyally watched it, making it part of their lives. This show has enriched my life greater than anything I’ve done in my career and it will live in my heart. We are a family and I will miss you. Thank you again to this amazing cast and crew, Kevin, Julie, Warner Bros., The CW and the most loyal fan base the world has ever seen. Wow, what a ride."
"Being cast in 'The Vampire Diaries' has changed the trajectory of my life, to say the very least," his TV brother Paul Wesley added. "I’m beyond fortunate for the experiences I’ve had and lessons I’ve learned over the last seven years. I want to thank Kevin and Julie, as well as Peter Roth and Warner Bros., Mark Pedowitz and The CW, our incredible cast and crew, and especially the TVD fans all around the world who are the reason this show became such a worldwide success. I am beyond grateful to have been a part of it."
Season 8 debuts on October 22, with 16 episodes and plenty of time to speculate wildly about a Nina Dobrev cameo... and it's not impossible!
"Nina has always said that if there’s something for her to do in the series finale that she will be there to do it," showrunner Julie Plec told Entertainment Weekly. "When she left, she said, ‘I want to see this character to its end at the end of the show, so I can’t wait to come back and put her to bed again.'"
Related: The New Vampire Diaries Trailer Has Lots of Drama (But No Nina Dobrev, Sob)
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