Pretty Little Liars (Indonesian TV series)

Pretty Little Liars (Indonesian TV series)

Company type	Television series
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	April 22, 2020 (2020-04-22)
Founder	Emil Heradi (director)
Headquarters	Indonesia
Area served	Indonesia
Key people	Emil Heradi (director), Varun Mehta (executive producer), Angga Dwimas Sasongko (executive producer)
Products	Television drama series
Parent	Warner Bros. International Television Production

Pretty Little Liars is an Indonesian mystery drama series available on the streaming platform Viu, directed by Emil Heradi. This adaptation is based on the American show created by I. Marlene King, itself inspired by the book series authored by Sara Shepard. The show stars a prominent cast including Yuki Kato portraying Alissa, Anya Geraldine as Hanna, Eyka Farhana and Caitlin Halderman alternating as Ema, Valerie Thomas playing Sabrina, and Shindy Huang as Aria. The supporting ensemble features talents such as Wulan Guritno, Tarra Budiman, Naufal Samudra, Jennifer Coppen, Cindy Nirmala, Giulio Parengkuan, Bio One, and Bastian Steel.

The debut season was released on 22 April 2020, comprising 10 episodes. The second season premiered on 14 April 2022, concluding the series on 18 May 2022 after two seasons. Production was handled by Warner Bros. International Television Production in collaboration with Cinema Collectiva for season one and Visinema Content for season two. Executive producers included Varun Mehta and Angga Dwimas Sasongko. Filming locations spanned several Indonesian cities such as Bali, Jakarta, and Yogyakarta.

Premise

The storyline unfolds in the fictional Balinese town of Amerta and centers on four female university students whose friendship dissolves following the mysterious disappearance of their leader, Alissa, on the night of their high school graduation. One year later, Hanna, Ema, Sabrina, and Aria come back together after receiving threatening notes from an enigmatic individual known only as "A," who menaces to expose their deepest secrets.

Main

• Yuki Kato portrays Alissa, the charismatic yet controlling queen bee who vanishes during graduation night
• Anya Geraldine plays Hanna, a former target of Alissa’s bullying who gains popularity after Alissa’s disappearance
• Eyka Farhana (season 1) and Caitlin Halderman (season 2) depict Ema, a reserved girl from a devout Malaysian family entangled in complicated relationships including one with Mahesa
• Valerie Thomas as Sabrina, a high-achieving student from a competitive household who frequently opposes Alissa
• Shindy Huang embodies Aria, who conceals secrets; following Alissa's disappearance, her family relocates to Jakarta before she returns and begins an affair with her university lecturer
• Wulan Guritno appears as Amira, Hanna’s protective mother recently divorced and deeply caring for her daughter
• Tarra Budiman acts as Eric, an Indonesian language teacher involved romantically with Aria
• Naufal Samudra plays Mahesa, who moves into Alissa’s former residence and develops a relationship with Ema; he later undergoes rehabilitation but eventually reconciles with her
• Jennifer Coppen is Mona, once bullied by Alissa and now the new popular girl who continues similar bullying behaviors
• Cindy Nirmala portrays Jihan, Tama’s stepsister who pressures him into a relationship
• Giulio Parengkuan plays Tama, previously bullied by Alissa and bearing a tattoo symbolizing his liberation from Jihan
• Bio One appears as Kevin (season 2), Hanna’s hacker boyfriend who briefly stays with her family
• Bastian Steel takes on Malik (season 2), Ema's controversial love interest whose relationship ends following a pregnancy revelation

Recurring

• Marcell Darwin portrays Reno, a physician and Melissa’s fiancé who finds himself attracted to Sabrina (season 1)
• Evan Marvino appears as Benny, Ema's longtime boyfriend (season 1)
• Chicco Kurniawan plays Raka, a student who was once bullied by Alissa
• Tegar Satrya acts as Darma, a corrupt detective handling the investigation into Alissa’s death (season 1)
• Naufal Azhar (season 1) and Farandika (season 2) take on the role of Sandy, Hanna’s boyfriend who resists her advances
• Sebastian Teti is cast as Alex (season 1; guest in season 2), Sabrina's romantic interest employed at a tennis club
• Cheryl Marella features as Illa, Bondan's wife and mother to Aria and Miko
• Irgi Fahrezi portrays Bondan, Illa's unfaithful spouse engaged in an affair with a student
• Anastasia Herzigova plays Melissa, Sabrina's seemingly flawless sister and adversary
• Imelda Laish (guest season 1) and Izabel Jahja (season 2) depict Vero, the sisters' lawyer and mother
• Richardo Benito appears as Peter, Vero's husband (season 1)
• Nazia Mustafar (season 1) and Karina Suwandi (season 2) portray Indah, Ema's devout mother who disapproves of Mahesa
• Damara Finch is Novan, a well-liked student formerly admired by Aria; his suspicious actions raise doubts among The Liars
• Muhammad Ditra (season 1) and Fandy Christian (season 2) play Ian, Melissa’s husband with a concealed connection to Alissa; he dies in the season two finale while attempting to kill Sabrina
• Khiva Ishak takes on Captain Agung (season 2), the detective succeeding Darma
• Dito Darmawan acts as Gary (season 2), a police officer linked to The Liars and secretly involved with Jihan

Guest

• Farish Nahdi appears as Jason, Alissa's elder brother
• Pascal Azhar plays Tommy (season 1), Hanna’s father who abandoned his family
• Johan Morgan features as Willy (season 2)
• Clafita Witoko portrays Sandra (season 2), Aria's previous babysitter
• Intan Annur acts as Asti (season 2), who cheated on her boyfriend with Malik; revealed to be pregnant by Malik in the season two finale
• Revaldo appears as James (season 2)
• Keanu Campora plays Edgar (season 2)
• Stevie Domminique features as Julia (season 2), Eric's former fiancée

Development

The series was officially announced on August 27, 2019, showcasing a diverse ensemble cast. It is produced through a collaboration between Asian streaming platform Viu and Warner Bros. International Television Production. Confirmation for the second season came in August 2020, with lead actress Anya Geraldine indicating that filming was expected to commence in June 2021.

Casting

At the time of the series announcement, Anya Geraldine, Eyka Farhana, Valerie Thomas, and Shindy Huang were confirmed for the primary roles of Hanna, Ema, Sabrina, and Aria respectively. Yuki Kato joined the cast portraying Alissa, the dominant figure within the group.

Though Eyka Farhana was initially slated to return for season two, she withdrew due to COVID-19. Caitlin Halderman succeeded her in the role of Ema. New additions Bio One and Bastian Steel were introduced as Kevin and Malik in season two's main lineup; Khiva Ishak appeared as a guest detective. Roles of Ian, Sandy, Vero, and Indah were recast with Fandy Christian, Farandika, Izabel Jahja, and Karina Suwandi replacing previous actors.

Filming

The initial season was shot over a span of 40 days in Bali, Indonesia, between June and August 2019.

Writing

In adapting the series for an Indonesian audience, the character Ema—modeled after Emily Fields—underwent significant rewriting. Additionally, characters derived from Maya St. Germain and Paige McCullers were reimagined with swapped genders, creating a unique narrative path for Ema.

Music

The soundtrack and main theme, titled "Secret," were composed by Yovial Virgi and performed by cast member Jennifer Coppen. This track appears both as a remixed version during the opening credits and again at the conclusion of each episode.

Release

The debut season, comprising 10 episodes, launched on April 22, 2020. The follow-up season premiered on April 14, 2022, and wrapped up on May 18, 2022.