ABC FAMILY HAS FOUND ITS VILLAIN 'VALENTINE' WITH ALAN VAN SPRANG FOR THE SAGA SERIES "SHADOWHUNTERS"

Burbank, CA (May 8, 2015) - ABC Family found its rogue Shadowhunter villain with the casting of Alan Van Sprang ("Reign") as 'Valentine.' It was announced today by the network. Van Sprang will be a recurring guest star on the series.

Based on the bestselling young adult fantasy book series The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, "Shadowhunters" follows 18-year-old Clary Fray, who finds out on her birthday that she is not who she thinks she is but rather comes from a long line of Shadowhunters - human-angel hybrids who hunt down demons. When her mother, Jocelyn, is kidnapped, Clary is thrown into the world of demon hunting with mysterious Shadowhunter Jace and her best friend, Simon. Now living among faeries, warlocks, vampires and werewolves, Clary begins a journey of self-discovery as she learns more about her past and what her future may hold.

Brilliant, cunning, and dangerously handsome, Valentine is a mysterious Shadowhunter wielding immense power. His stoic, charming, and confident presence allows him control over his many followers. To seek out what he wants, Valentine executes anyone in his way, never thinking twice about it.

"Shadowhunters" is produced by Constantin Film and executive produced by Ed Decter and McG. McG will also direct the first episode. The network has previously announced Katherine McNamara as 'Clary Fray,' Dominic Sherwood for the role of 'Jace Wayland,' Alberto Rosende as 'Simon,' Emeraude Toubia as 'Isabelle Lightwood,' Matthew Daddario as 'Alec Lightwood' and Isaiah Mustafa as 'Luke Garroway.'

Part of the Disney/ABC Television Group, ABC Family is distributed in 94 million homes. ABC Family entertains and connects to audiences with bold, relatable programming that celebrates the epic adventure of becoming an adult, from first kiss to first kid. ABC Family's programming is a combination of network-defining original series and original movies, quality acquired series and blockbuster theatricals. "WATCH ABC Family" is an authenticated service which allows viewers with participating TV subscription services access to 24/7 live viewing of the network, as well as continued on-demand access to such popular series at home and on-the-go via a wide array of devices. ABC Family is also the destination for annual holiday events with "13 Nights of Halloween" and "25 Days of Christmas."