Lucy Hale's Hint at an Aria Cameo on ‘Pretty Little Liars: Summer School’ Sparks Excitement

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Lucy Hale hinted at a potential Aria cameo in the upcoming season of Pretty Little Liars: Summer School, and fans are ecstatic.

The official poster for season 2 of the teen slasher was released on Tuesday, April 9, and was shared by the main cast of the show as well as Max’s official Instagram account. The caption teased, "It’s gonna be a killer summer," revealing that the new season will premiere on Thursday, May 9.

Hale, who played Aria Montgomery on the original series for all seven seasons, expressed her excitement in the comments section. She wrote, "Kinda making me want to go back to school?" with a heart eyes and fire emoji.

Fans were left wondering if Aria might return in future episodes, as her name was mentioned in season 1.

One person jokingly said, "Ms. Hale, are you hinting at a cameo? Mrs. Montgomery-Fitzgerald teaching?" Another person added, "Hold on a minute, I better see you there, miss ma'am." A third person pleaded, "@lucyhale, please don't tease us like this!"

Pretty Little Liars originally aired on ABC Family before moving to Freeform from 2010 to 2017. The series wrapped up with Hale’s character riding off into the sunset with her longtime love, Ezra Fitz, who was also her former high school English teacher, played by Ian Harding. Despite two spinoffs, Ravenswood and PLL: Perfectionists, being canceled after just one season, the creator, Max, announced a new series called Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, which premiered in July 2022.

In this new iteration, the story is set in the fictional town of Millwood, where a series of tragic events had almost torn the blue-collar town apart years ago. Now, twenty years later, a group of teenage girls find themselves being tormented by an unknown ‘A’ssailant. The new Liars are portrayed by Bailee Madison, Chandler Kinney, Faran Bryant, Malia Pyles, and Maia Reficco.

In the last episode of the first season, Imogen, played by Madison, shared that she chose to give her baby up for adoption. She found a couple, Ezra and Aria Fitz, who had been hoping to have a baby for a while. In the original series, Aria's inability to conceive was a part of the storyline. Later on in The Perfectionists, it was disclosed that Ezra and Aria had adopted a daughter named Katherine Ella.

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Hale did not appear in Original Sin at that time. However, she discussed the chance of coming back to the role in a January 2024 interview with MovieWeb.

She shared, "I may not remember exactly how my character Aria is connected, but I know she's been mentioned in some way. I always keep an open mind. Being part of that show was a huge blessing in my life. It truly transformed me in every aspect. I am filled with gratitude for that experience. While I'm not sure about a reboot, I'm glad they are keeping its legacy alive. I believe it's a fantastic idea and I fully support it."

The announcement of Summer School, a reimagined second season of Original Sin, was made in September 2022. Although Whale showrunner Robert Aguirre-Sacasa has not confirmed the return of any original Liars to Millwood, he hinted at a fresh and exciting premise for fans to look forward to. He described it as something "bigger, badder, and bolder."

"We wanted to create a female villain for our horror show, exploring a different perspective," he shared with Cosmopolitan in March 2024. Our goal was to make the villain feel apocalyptic and terrifying, especially since most of the season takes place during the summer. Drawing inspiration from classic slashers like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Midsommar, we aimed to create a sense of impending doom.

We were drawn to the chilling imagery found in these types of movies and wanted to incorporate some of that into our show. It was important for us to make sure our villain was even scarier than the previous one, who was already quite terrifying in season 1.

Editor's P/S:

The potential return of Lucy Hale's iconic character, Aria Montgomery, in "Pretty Little Liars: Summer School" has ignited excitement among fans. Hale's cryptic comment on the official poster has fueled speculation that she may reprise her role in the upcoming season. This would mark a significant connection between the original series and its reboot, "Original Sin."

Hale's previous statements indicate that she is open to the possibility of returning to the franchise that launched her career. The storyline in "Original Sin" has already established a connection between Aria and Ezra Fitz, who adopted a daughter in the original series. With the showrunner hinting at a fresh and terrifying premise for "Summer School," the return of Aria could bring a new dimension to the story, while also paying homage to the legacy of "Pretty Little Liars."