More than a decade after its conclusion, Glee is set to return on Disney+ with several key members from the original cast returning to reprise their roles.
Deadline reported today that Disney+ and Hulu have officially greenlit a Glee reboot, with original series creators Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan, and Brad Falchuk returning to helm the new project. Variety reported exclusively that original series lead Lea Michele will return as Rachel Berry, while co-stars Heather Morris and Chord Overstreet hinted on social media that they may also return as Brittany Pierce and Sam Evans, respectively. Ryan Murphy previously disclosed that he recently made contact with around ten original cast members. In the series finale of the original run, Sam became the new coach of the "New Directions" glee club, before a time jump to 2020 showed Rachel winning the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
Glee originally premiered on Fox in 2009 and ran for six seasons totaling 121 episodes before wrapping in 2015. Set at William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio, the series centered on the students of the "New Directions" glee club as they balanced show choir competitions with adolescent social challenges—including sexual orientation, gender, race, family dynamics, relationships, and teamwork—featuring multiple musical performances in every episode. The 11th episode of the second season aired immediately following the Super Bowl, drawing over 27 million viewers to become the highest-rated scripted broadcast in three years. Additionally, the show's debut season won Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Jane Lynch) and Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series (Ryan Murphy), alongside back-to-back Golden Globe wins for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy for its first two seasons. The original ensemble cast featured Chris Colfer, Jane Lynch, Kevin McHale, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Matthew Morrison, Amber Riley, Mark Salling, Jenna Ushkowitz, Naya Rivera, and Darren Criss; Cory Monteith tragically passed away from a drug overdose in 2013, and Naya Rivera died in an accidental drowning in 2020.
Ryan Murphy stands as one of the most prominent creators in modern American television. Following Glee, he co-created the anthology series American Horror Story and American Crime Story alongside Brad Falchuk, with the latter winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series twice. He also co-created the hit Netflix anthologies Monster and The Watcher alongside Ian Brennan.
Disney+ and Hulu have made several attempts to reboot classic properties in recent years. Last year, they filmed a pilot for a sequel series to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, directed by Oscar winner Chloé Zhao (Nomadland), though the project ultimately did not move forward to a full series order. Earlier this year, they produced a pilot for a reboot of The X-Files, created and directed by BAFTA winner Ryan Coogler (Black Panther, Sinners) and starring Danielle Deadwyler (The Piano Lesson) and Himesh Patel (Enola Holmes 3). Last week, the network officially handed down a full series order for The X-Files.
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Photo: Disney+