Younger actors are being cast to play Everett and Sarah in flashback

scenes in season 6 of the romantic drama series, as well as their own story.

That river keeps on rolling. EW has confirmed that Netflix is developing a Virgin River spinoff,

even as season 6 of the romantic drama series finally starts production in Vancouver this week following delays by last year’s Hollywood labor strikes. Deadline was first to report the news.

Virgin River stars Alexandra Breckenridge as Mel Monroe, a nurse and midwife who recently moved to the titular small town in Northern California for a fresh start. But recently Mel learned that she has deeper roots in Virgin River than she realized. Last year’s holiday episode revealed that a man named Everett from the town is Mel’s biological father. Showrunner Patrick Sean Smith promised EW in November that Everett “will definitely play a good sized part in Mel’s storyline” in season 6.

Younger actors will be cast to play Everett and Mel’s late mother Sarah in flashback scenes in season 6. Those actors will then carry over to a planned spinoff series about their origin story. The still-untitled spinoff is being written by Smith, who joined Virgin River after season 4.

The approach echoes what Netflix recently did with another high-profile romantic drama series. Queen Charlotte spun off from Bridgerton and starred India Amarteifio as a younger version of the title character, who is played by Golda Rosheuvel in the flagship series.

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