Trailer previews The CW’s Roswell reboot, coming in January

Last Updated on July 21, 2021

A reboot of the 1999 – 2002 television series Roswell is coming to The CW next month, and a trailer has arrived online to give a preview of the new version of the concept that has been crafted by Julie Plec and Carina Adly MacKenzie. 

Inspired by author Melinda Metz's Roswell High book series, the new TV show is titled Roswell, New Mexico and has a long official synopsis that also names several cast members:

More than maybe anywhere else on Earth, Roswell, New Mexico is ground zero for those who seek proof that aliens exist. Roswell native Liz Ortecho (Jeanine Mason) left it all behind 10 years ago after the death of her beloved older sister Rosa. But after the government cuts funding on her biomedical research, she reluctantly returns to her tourist-trap hometown to move back in with her father. When Liz arrives, she reconnects with Max Evans (Nathan Parsons), her teenage crush, who is now a Roswell police officer. Their chemistry is instantly electric. But Liz soon discovers a shocking truth: Max is an alien who has kept his unearthly abilities hidden his entire life, along with those of his otherworldly sister, Isobel (Lily Cowles), and their friend Michael (Michael Vlamis).

As the two grow closer after a decade apart, Liz finds it difficult to keep the truth from her best friend, Maria De Luca (Heather Hemmens), and her trusting high school ex, Dr. Kyle Valenti (Michael Trevino). Also hiding their extraterrestrial origins are Isobel and Michael, with Isobel not even revealing the truth to her husband, Noah Bracken (Karan Oberoi), and Michael keeping his identity hidden beneath a bad-boy exterior of hard living and casual hookups. Meanwhile, Master Sergeant Jesse Manes (Trevor St. John) spearheads a long-standing government conspiracy — unbeknownst to his son, Alex Manes (Tyler Blackburn), who has recently returned from service overseas with emotional and physical injuries. The politics of fear and hatred that run rampant in Roswell threaten to expose Max and his family and could endanger his deepening romance with Liz… as well as their lives.

I have never read a Roswell High book and never saw a single episode of the first Roswell series, so I have no idea how well the story or characters of Roswell, New Mexico match up with them – and the new trailer really doesn't give someone who's not familiar with this stuff much to go on, either. A longer promo was released in July, so I have included that below as well.

If Roswell, New Mexico looks interesting to you, watch for it to premiere on The CW on Tuesday, January 15th.