Glee reboot officially happening after Ryan Murphy teased OG cast returns

Oct 21
Written by Jack Wetherill

The Glee reboot is officially happening (Fox)

A Glee reboot has been officially greenlit for Disney+ and Hulu, with co-creator Ryan Murphy saying he has written a script with Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan.

The new series is being produced by 20th Television and will air on both Hulu and Disney+, as reported by Variety. No casting has been announced, though Murphy previously revealed he’d been in touch with a number of the show’s original cast.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight in September, he said: “I’ve been in touch with around 10 of the original cast members. It’s very sweet, and they all had a lot of questions, but they all were very enthusiastic about the idea.”

What we know about the Glee reboot

Honestly, not that much at the moment, other than the production company and where it will air.

The original Fox musical dramedy ran for six seasons from 2009 to 2015, following a group of show choir members at William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio. Each episode featured musical performances alongside storylines about school life and social issues, though often featured jokes or language that could be deemed problematic nowadays.

The reboot has been in the air for a while. In July, Murphy told People: “That show is interesting because it’s come back around. So many young people now watch it. And I’m like, ‘Maybe we should revisit that show.’”

In September, Murphy said he had finished a script for a potential reboot, co-written with Falchuk and Brennan, and said the cast members he had spoken to were “very enthusiastic” about the idea.

Will any original cast members return?

With no cast confirmed, it is unclear who will appear, or whether the reboot will focus on a new group of students, returning characters, or both.

Chris Colfer, who played Kurt Hummel, has spoken about how complicated a return could feel after the death of Naya Rivera. In an interview with Bustle, he said: “It was a really tough show to do, and it would be really hard to do it now that Naya [Rivera] is gone. But I do know that Glee fans would probably come after me with pitchforks and jazz hands if I said no.”

Two other cast members from the original have died, too.

Cory Monteith, who played Finn Hudson, was found dead in a hotel room on 13 July, 2013, at the age of 31. His death was ruled an accident, from a “mixed drug toxicity” of heroin and alcohol. His death was written into the show, with Finn’s death also being confirmed in the tearjerking Season 5 episode “The Quarterback”.

Mark Salling, who played Noah “Puck” Puckerman, took his own life on 30 January, 2018, after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography as part of a plea deal. His sentencing had been due to take place on 7 March, 2018.

Readers affected by the issues raised in this story are encouraged to contact Samaritans free on 116 123 (www.samaritans.org) or Mind on 0300 123 3393 (www.mind.org.uk). Readers in the US are encouraged to contact the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255.