Virgin River Boss Hints at Spin-Off: A New Chapter Is Coming

🌲 Virgin River Boss Hints at Spin-Off: A New Chapter Is Coming

Netflix recently renewed Virgin River for its seventh season, making it its longest-running English-language drama Southern Living+15People.com+15Digital Spy+15. But the real excitement comes from showrunner Patrick Sean Smith teasing an entirely new direction: a prequel series exploring Mel’s parents, Sarah and Everett—that romance set in the 1970s, first introduced via Season 6 flashbacks EW.com+15EW.com+15TV Insider+15.

Here’s what we know:

✅ Key Highlights

Prequel in development: Smith confirmed to Deadline that he’s actively writing the prequel focused on Sarah and Everett’s love story EW.com+1Digital Spy+1.
1970s Setting: The series will explore romance and social issues of the era, much like Bridgerton’s Queen Charlotte—romance-forward yet emotionally rich The Scottish Sun+7Digital Spy+7SoapCentral+7.
Expansive Universe: Smith believes the Virgin River world has “huge potential” for multiple spin-offs, citing Robyn Carr’s novel format where each couple gets their own story The Times of India+15Collider+15SoapCentral+15.
Season 7 & beyond: Season 7 starts filming March 12, 2025, in Vancouver—with Season 8 already greenlit—while the prequel moves ahead separately Wikipedia+3Reddit+3The Times of India+3.

🎯 Why This Matters

Aspect	Details
Backstory Anchor	Flashbacks from Season 6 deepened Mel’s family history, hinting prequel potential Digital Spy+15SoapCentral+15TV Insider+15
Romance-Driven	Smith’s vision is consistently “character-based” and romance-focused, drawing from the franchise’s DNA
Franchise Expansion	With the Thunder Point adaptation also underway, the Virgin River universe is growing—creating a potential small-screen empire

🔮 What’s Next?

Future spinoff casting: Look for young Sarah (Jessica Rothe) and Everett (Callum Kerr) to carry over from flashbacks into a full spin-off HELLO!+12People.com+12Digital Spy+12.
Thematic direction: Expect explored tensions of the 1970s—social change, shifting norms—through a deeply emotional lens .
Timeline: With Season 7 filming in Spring 2025 and the show renewed through Season 8, the prequel may be slated for 2026 or early 2027 The Times of India+4Tech Advisor+4Business Insider+4.

💬 In Patrick Sean Smith’s words:

“It’s a rich world with rich characters… putting Sarah and Everett in the foreground… things romance-forward, character-based… that can still speak and feel relevant to issues of today.”
— Virgin River showrunner Patrick Sean Smith HELLO!+14Digital Spy+14EW.com+14

So yes—a Virgin River spin-off is officially coming, charting Mel’s parents’ love story in the 1970s with more spin-off potential down the line. It sounds heartfelt, romantic, and full of old-school charm—just what fans have been waiting for.

Would you like a breakdown of potential casting, deeper analysis of the books, or episode previews for Season 7?