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It's not looking too good for the next season of "The Originals" as it witnessed the exit of executive producer Michael Narducci to ABC Studios. Narducci, who last produced "The Originals" season 4 and "The Vampire Dairies" season 8, announced his exit on Friday and will be heading out to ABC for a three-year contract.

"The Originals" season 4 may air sometime this summer, but executive producer Michael Narducci will no longer return for a potential season 5, The Hollywood Reporter exclusive learned. Narudicci, who is popularly known for serving as showrunner on both "The Vampire Diaries and "The Originals," accepted a two-year deal with ABC Studios. Under his new contract, Narducci is expected to create and develop projects for the studio, which was responsible for the smashing TV hits like "Grey's Anatomy" and "American Crime." November 2015, Narducci developed Vertigo comic book "Unfollow" for ABC.

Mark your calendars... #TheOriginals returns March 17 on The CW. pic.twitter.com/aDkxxFcpE8

— The Originals (@cworiginals) January 3, 2017

"The Originals" season 4 will now see Julie Plec as the executive producer should season 5 gets renewed, Entertainment Weekly added. Plec's publicist confirmed to the online magazine that Plec will replace his position at "The Originals." Since "The Originals" debut in 2013, Narducci executive-produced all 66 episodes and written 17 from them. More so, he also produced "The Vampire Diaries" from 2011 to 2013, writing 10 episodes during this time. With news of Michael Narducci leaving, things aren't looking too great for the spinoff series.

While this certainly sounds alarming, Julie Plec assured fans that there's nothing to be afraid of. He told THR that Narducci found an opportunity that he can't refuse. Plec also added that he's going to be missed terribly. The CW President Mark Pedowitz also gave reassuring words to fans, revealing that he loved working with Plec. While the future of the series will greatly depend on performance, he is certain that Plec will deliver for the season

"The Originals" season 4 will return to The CW on March 17, 2017. Watch the latest trailer in the video below.