The Mortal Instruments TV Series | Initial Thoughts

I have a strained relationship with The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. I loved the first three books and the prequel series, The Infernal Devices. But, I have been iffy about the rest of the series, especially the last book so far, City of Heavenly Fire. 

I hope that the television series can rekindle my love for this series.

As most of you should know, I hated the City of Bones movie. Jamie Bower did not look or act like how I imagined Jace, the romance was over exaggerated, and it was not really true to the book. I feel like this story could make should a good TV series, if done in the right way.


So, here is a little bit of background about what we know so far about the show. 

The series is going to be produced by ABC Family. The first season, which is supposed to premiere sometime next year, is predicted to have thirteen episodes. 

According to Cassandra Clare's Twitter, the TV series (thankfully) has nothing to do with the movie. So, it will probably start at the beginning again, unlike the popular rumor of the series starting where the movie left off.

It has nothing to do with the film - like the film didn't exist. https://t.co/j7NvTeNxmJ

— Cassandra Clare (@cassieclare) May 2, 2015

So far only Jace, Clary, Simon, and Isabelle have been casted. There is still no word on who is going to play Alec or Magnus.

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Katherine McNamara, also known as Kat, is officially playing our beloved Clary. She is known for her appearances in Disney Channel shows, including Jesse, Kicking It, and Girl vs. Monster. 

I can really see the Clary in her. She has the red hair, green eyes, and defiant set in her jaw. I hope she can live up to the role. She can definitely pull off a stubborn, but curious artist who just wants to know the truth about herself.

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Dominic Sherwood has been casted as Jace (I am not even going to try and put a last name). You might recognize his as the guy in Taylor Swift's Style music video or as Christian from the Vampire Academy movie. 

I am quite excited for this. I can see him being the snarky, aloof, and attractive Jace. The only thing I am worried about is his hair color. Are they going to try and dye his hair blonde? I really did not like it when Josh Hutcherson had to have his hair dyed to play Peeta and I do not want Dominic to try out the same way.

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Alberto Rosende is casted as Simon Lewis. He has made an appearance on the TV show, Blue Bloods.

I think Alberto is going to make a great Simon. He is nerdy in the best way possible and LOOK AT THE GLASSES! I can already see him as our awkward, smart, and innocent Simon.

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Emeraude Toubia is going to play Isabelle Lightwood. I will admit that she is not how I imagined her in the book, which might prove to be a little problematic. 

To put it bluntly, some people are upset that Izzy is not white, even though Cassandra Clare has admitted that she did not explicitly specify that Izzy is white in the novels. 

I will have to want and see how she tackles Izzy's fierce and sassy character. I do not really care what she looks like if she can still bring Izzy's character to life. 


There are also rumors that some key parts of the series are going to change, including the age of the characters.

Clary is going to be 18 in the series instead of 16 like in City of Bones. The rest of the cast is also supposed to be about college-aged. 

I am not thrilled about this development. The books were a lot about growing up and finding yourself, which I do not think is going to be as relevant if the characters are already in college. I do understand that it would make some things easier, like the whole nightclub thing and wild parties and such.

I also think that producers are trying to make the series more appealing to an older age range. I mean, not many people want to watch a TV series about teenagers than other teenagers. 

There are also rumors of new characters, including Simon's girlfriend and fellow bandmate, Natalie. Remember these are just rumors and speculation, nothing has really been make public yet. (Which I really hope this is just a rumor because this storyline does not need more romantic drama.)

The first episode is going to be directed by McG, who is the producer of my current TV obsession Supernatural. Honestly, I do not think that McG is capable of producing something terrible. 

Ed Decter will pretty much be in charge of this project. He is known for his work on the science fiction TV series, Helix. 

In short, I believe that The Mortal Instrument series is going to be interesting and probably good, but I think it will differ a lot from the books. 

But at least it cannot be worse than the movie. 

What do you think about turning The Mortal Instruments into a TV series? Would you watch it? What do you think about the casting so far? Who are your dream actors for Clary, Magnus, and Alec? What do you think about all of the changes being made?