The plot of "The Originals" season 4 is inspired by renowned novelist Stephen King, executive producer Julie Plec revealed.

In an interview with Variety, Plec teased that the writers of "The Vampire Diaries" spinoff series got their inspiration from the works of the bestselling horror-fantasy author. According to Plec, most of the writers of the series are avid Stephen King fans.

She said that the writers of the show appreciate how "The Dark Tower" author incorporate an "insidious, horrific energy without defining a singular monster at the top." This inspired them to come up with a similar approach for the upcoming season: by inciting a culture of fear at the beginning of the season before identifying the real village as the plot progresses.

This could mean that the Mikaelsons will be head-to-head with an unknown enemy at the start of the season, which will make it harder for them to defeat.

Meanwhile, Plec revealed in a separate interview with Entertainment Tonight that there could be a chance to see some of the characters from "The Vampire Diaries" after the original series ends after its eighth season.

According to the executive producer, it has always been her plan to incorporate both shows organically. And one of her visions is to see some of the characters from the original series to crossover in the spinoff. "There are a lot of really wonderful people that I work with that I'd like to continue working with, so it's certainly not out of the question that we could find ways to integrate them into The Originals," Plec stated.

Details about the plot of "The Originals" season 4 remain to be a mystery at this point, but speculations claim that the Mikaelsons will need to save their brother Klaus (Joseph Morgan) once again.

The premiere of "The Originals" season 4 will air on The CW in early 2017.