The Originals to End After Season 5

The Originals' upcoming fifth season will be the show's last.

Creator Julie Plec shared the news on Twitter Thursday in an emotional letter to fans ahead of the show's panel at San Diego Comic-Con and one year after announcing the end ofThe Vampire Diaries.

"It feels only fitting to use this anniversary to make a second farewell announcement," Plec wrote."This year, we invite you to help us say goodbye to The Originals, which begins shooting its fifth and final season on Monday."

The Originals' fourth season ended with the Mikaelson family separating to keep the Hollow from ever possessing Hope again. When the series returns, it will make another dramatic time jump, this time moving forward approximately ten years to when Hope is now a teenager.

"It's both a gift and a burden to be able to control the ending of a series," Plec said. "Many shows are not lucky enough to have a hand in deciding when the end has come... Ending a show is always bittersweet, but for me, it's a true blessing to be a part of making that choice."

"I want each actor to play their last scene as their character, and to put their character to bed with grace and care," the creator continued. "For each craftsman to take a final walk on the sets they build, the lights they've hung. To choose the final song or score the final scene. To turn out the lights at the end of the day, knowing that they can take a moment to be proud of all that they've created, and to say goodbye before they walk out the door for the last time. And I want fans to be able to go along on that ride with us."

One thing many fans are looking forward to in The Originals final season are potential cameos from their favorite TVD stars. We know that Candice King will be appearing in the season premiere, but adversely, Paul Wesley has already shot down the possibility of appearing in the show's final season.

There have also been rumors of a potential Originals spin-off following Hope and her teenage adventures. And in her note to fans, Plec did leave the door open to exploring this world again down the line. "And know that in a show about an immortal family who believes in 'Always and Forever,' it's never really the end of the story..." she wrote.

The Originals' final season will premiere on the CW in 2018.

(Full disclosure: TV Guide is owned by CBS, one of the CW's parent companies.)