Liz and Jess, I've missed you so!

Sweet Valley High sequel to follow characters into 30s

Francine Pascal promises 'shocking' update on the progress of the much-loved Wakefield twins

One of the Sweet Valley High novels' covers

Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield, the blond, tanned, teenage twins of the bestselling Sweet Valley High series, are set to grow up after creator Francine Pascal announced she was writing a new novel that will follow her cast into their 30s.

Launched in 1983, the Sweet Valley franchise has produced around 500 titles, written by a host of ghostwriters. From high school romances to stalkers and serial killers, it follows the adventures of identical twins Elizabeth and Jessica "with their shoulder-length blonde hair, blue-green eyes, and perfect California tans", and has sold hundreds of millions of copies around the world. Fans will know that although Elizabeth and Jessica "were exact duplicates of one another, down to the tiny dimples in their left cheeks when they smiled", Elizabeth is the sensible, responsible, hard-working sister, while Jessica is largely interested in boys and parties.

The new book, Sweet Valley Confidential, takes place 12 years after the high school series, when the twins and their friends are in their late 20s and early 30s. It will, according to publisher St Martin's Press, see "the real world intrude after a perfect childhood". "I've had thousand of queries from fans over the years wondering what Jessica and Elizabeth would be like as adults. Well, Sweet Valley Confidential should give them all the answers," said Pascal, who was originally inspired to write the series by the experiences of her three daughters. "And I can guarantee they will be very surprised. Actually, more like shocked."

The Sweet Valley series has never troubled itself too much with realism. In one novel, To Catch a Thief, Elizabeth is "swept off her feet by Prince Laurent de Sainte-Marie – the most romantic guy she's ever met in her life", only to find herself locked in a dungeon by his fiancée's evil mother the Countess di Rimini. In another, London is plagued by what appears to be a werewolf.

St Martin's Press, which will publish the novel in early 2011, gave away little about the plot but fans are already speculating about which direction Pascal will take her characters. "Most everyone hopes Elizabeth and Todd are married, but we all have an idea Liz is having an affair if that's the case," said one reader, who has written about the entire series on her blog, Shannon's Sweet Valley High blog. "We figure Jessica has probably gone to Hollywood to be a star, but some of us are kind of hoping she's failed. Because seriously, that girl has had it too easy. And of course we all want to see the return of Lila, Bruce and the other side characters. It just wouldn't be Sweet Valley without them. A few of my readers are hoping Lila and Bruce are married, but I'd rather see Lila and Jessica trolling for guys together like they always have."

And this (!):

A film based on the Wakefield twins' high school years is also in the works, written and produced by Juno screenwriter Diablo Cody.

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Sweet Valley High: The Movie! It's about time somebody made one. But since that somebody is Diablo Cody, I'm sure it'll be well worth the wait.