Bella Thorne Teases Upcoming Series She’s Writing: ‘It’s So Personal to Me’ (Exclusive)

Bella Thorne has big plans for this year, teasing in a new interview with PopCulture an upcoming series she wrote that she is “so in love with” and hopes to be able to announce “soon” when contracts are all signed. The actress, singer and director can’t reveal the details yet but shared that the story draws from her own life experiences and is something that touched her deeply during the writing process.

“I’m really excited, ’cause it’s my baby. I created the series that I’m so in love with and could not, not write it if I tried,” she told PopCulture. The Shake It Up alum added that she “literally could not hold [herself] back from writing this project,” which is “so personal” to her, explaining that anyone who writes knows that it’s the kind of project that ends up being the most beautiful in the end.

Having grown up as a Disney Channel star, Thorne explained that breaking out of the box she was put in through her music and on-screen projects has been a tough, but important journey. “For me in acting for a while, [the box she was put into] was the mean girl, that b—y mean girl who’s always mean. And I was just like, “I am not doing this!” Thorne wants to see more “fully-formed” female characters in movies and on television today — women who are allowed to show the good, bad and ugly sides of themselves without writers and directors worrying about how “nice” and “relatable” they might be for audiences. “I think it’s really important for me to take these projects, it’s just that it’s not like everyone’s writing them every day.”

Pointing out women in the entertainment industry like Jessica Chastain who have advocated for more complex female characters, Thorne said she “definitely” wants to focus on projects that fall in line with those ideals moving forward, whether in front of the camera or behind. It can be difficult, however, as the “Shake It” singer admittedly loves showing skin and showcasing more “intimate” moments in her work. “It’s just that I also like skin, and when you have skin in a movie … [people] view it a certain way,” she explained.

Creating those roles herself and taking a more active role behind the camera has been a priority for years for Thorne, who directs her own music videos and even won the Vision Award for directing the 2019 adult film Her & Him. “My first feature is super important to me because I didn’t go to film school. I don’t have a background that most people have … and I’ve learned what I’ve learned from being on set,” she explained to PopCulture. “I’m always asking questions and I’m always wanting to share this creative vision. … You’re never gonna just start out amazing. It always takes hard work to get there.”