"Jane The Virgin" spin-off: Everything we know about "Jane The Novela"

28 February 2019, 18:53 | Updated: 7 May 2019, 11:41

Jane The Virgin Gina Rodriguez
Jane The Virgin Gina Rodriguez. Picture: CW/Jane The Virgin
Nicky Idika

By Nicky Idika

Jacqueline Grace Lopez has joined the cast of Jane The Novela as the lead character, Estela. From casting announcements to pilot updates for the upcoming CW series, here's what you need to know about the Jane The Virgin spin-off, Jane The Novela.

It's official. The Jane The Virgin spin-off pilot, Jane The Novela, has been ordered at the CW and the project has even found its lead. Back in January 2019, the CW confirmed that it had ordered a pilot for the Jane companion series.

In January, Gina Rodriguez shared a photograph of herself (in a pregnant belly) beside the actor who plays Matteo (Elias Janssen). The actress included the caption "we got good news from the CW! Jane will be birthing a SPIN OFF!!!!!"

The CW has not announced a full series order for the spin-off, but here is everything we know about Jane The Novela so far.

Jane The Novela will be an anthology series based on Jane Villanueva's writing.

Jane Villanueva is an accomplished writer and The Novela series will be based on the beloved character's work. Each season will follow a different fictional novel written by Jane. We can see the telenovela goodness already.

Season one of Jane The Novela is set in Napa Valley, California and follows an art curator named Estela Lopez.

Per Deadline:

The first installment takes place at a Napa Valley Vineyard, where family secrets (and family members) don’t stay buried for long.

Deadline also reports that Jane The Novela season 1 will have two love interests for its lead character, Luen and Felix.

via CW

Jacqueline Grace Lopez will play the lead in Jane The Novela.

Jacqueline Grace Lopez has been cast as the lead in season one of Jane The Novela. Jacqueline will play Estela Lopez, an up and coming art curator.

You may recognise Jacqueline Grace Lopez from roles in East Los High, General Hospital, and Hulu's Light as a Feather.

In a post on her Instagram, Jacqueline Grace Lopez celebrated her casting, writing:
"Beyond blessed. It takes hard work. But this. T H I S. Makes it all worth it. I cannot wait to share this story with you. The script is AMAZING. The producing team feels like family. I am the luckiest girl in the world. Let’s do this."

Jane The Virgin writer Valentine Garza has written the pilot script and Gina Rodriguez says it's fantastic.

The Jane The Novela pilot script received high praised from both Gina Rodriquez and Jacqueline Grace Lopez. At the Winter Television Critics Association press event, Gina Rodriguez was thrilled about the Jane The Novela pilot script.

“It is fantastic. The pilot is unbelievable,” the Jane star said. “We hope we can give something just as great as we did with Jane the Virgin.”

In her casting announcement, Jacqueline Grace Lopez called the script "amazing". If the pilot is anything like the Jane we've come to love over the years, we have no doubt that it is, indeed, incredible.

2019 Winter TCA Tour - Day 3
2019 Winter TCA Tour - Day 3. Picture: Getty

Gina Rodriguez will narrate Jane The Novela

The novelas are written by Jane Villanuena, so it makes perfect sense that Gina will be on Jane duty in the new series. We're sure Jane viewers will be excited to hear a familiar voice that will help bridge the gap between the two shows.

via CW

Fans probably won't see many familiar Jane The Virgin faces in Jane The Novela...at least not at first

At the Television Critics Association press event, Jennie Snyder Urman was asked whether fans could expect to see Jane The Virgin cast members in the new show. Though she said it wouldn't happen at first, Urman didn't close the door completely.

“Once we get a year where we establish new characters, then we can see what comes," Urman explained.

Meanwhile, Jane The Virgin season 5 premieres March 27, so fans have some time before they have to say goodbye to their favourite JTV characters.