After the success of The Hunger Games, studios were desperate for yet another young adult fantasy series. Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments novels (the first six book series in a proposed five part opus The Shadow Chronicles) seemed to fit the bill with its mix of magic, werewolves and vampires. Now ABC have announced they will be turning her books into a new TV series called Shadowhunters, and McG will direct the opening episode.

The 2013 adaptation of Clare's first novel – City of Bones, starring Lily Collins, Jamie Campbell Bower, Lena Headey and Aidan Turner – didn't rack up the big numbers predicted. It raked in an over $75 million at the worldwide box office but compared to Hunger Games' $678 million (and Catching Fire went even bigger with $857 million, while Mockingjay Part 1 scored $709 million) it underperformed, and a proposed sequel was shelved.

However, it did decent business on DVD, and the novels already had a solid fanbase, so the studios weren't quite ready to let it go. The sprawling nature of Clare's fantasy world was probably more suited to TV anyway, and ABC Family picked up the baton.

McG, probably most famous for directing Charlie's Angels, Terminator Salvation and 3 Days to Kill, has signed on as executive producer alongside Ed Dectrr as showrunner and lead writer. McG is a nice fit and already has form on teen TV fodder, previously exec producing Supernatural and Chuck.

No word on casting as yet, but shooting is expected to start in Toronto in May.