One Tree Hill fans, how are we feeling about the latest revival news?
Last week, Deadline reported that Hilarie Burton and Sophia Bush were teaming up to bring Peyton Sawyer and Brooke Davis back to our screens in a One Tree Hill “sequel series” for Netflix. The hit teen drama originally aired for nine seasons from 2003 to 2012, though Burton exited the original series after season six.
Aside from Burton and Bush, the series originally created by Mark Schwahn will be in new hands with writer/executive producer Becky Hartman Edwards. Back in 2017, Burton and Bush joined multiple women from the show in signing an open letter accusing Schwahn of sexual harassment and manipulation.
Now, some of those women are linking up to “reclaim our turf.” Following the big announcement, Burton shared an Instagram post with Bush and two other former costars: Bevin Prince and Danneel Ackles. Ackles previously starred in the series as Rachel Gatina and will now serve as another executive producer through her production company Chaos Machine, which she owns with husband Jensen Ackles.
“What if you really can go back home? If there’s an opportunity to team with brilliant creatives and build a space where all our friends can show off their talents? Own our history? Reclaim our turf? Honour our fans? Sign us up," Burton captioned the post. "There’s only one Tree Hill, after all. And you — the #OTHfam — have shown us that it’s not just an idea. It really is the place where 'everything’s better and everything’s safe.'”
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Here's everything we know about the One Tree Hill sequel series coming to Netflix, including who's coming back and who is no longer a Tree Hill Raven. Warning, original series spoilers ahead!
What will the sequel be about? According to Deadline's report, the sequel will pick up 20 years after the original, centred on Peyton and Brooke's lives as parents to teens: "facing challenges not unfamiliar to what they tackled in the original series like love, insecurities and grief.”
Who is coming back? Warner Bros TV are obviously working with Burton and Bush on the series, but who else is signing back up? Based on Burton's post, it seems fair to assume Bevin Prince will reprise her role of Bevin Mirskey while Ackles is reportedly “in talks” to bring back Rachel.
Multiple former cast members commented on Burton's post expressing their own desires to reprise their roles. “OTH couldn’t be in better hands,” wrote Robert Buckley, who recently joined their rewatch podcast, Drama Queens. “SIGN👏ME👏UP👏 🔥🙌.” Tyler Hilton, Bryan Greenberg, Jana Kramer, and Daphne Zuniga also commented.
Who is not returning? According to Deadline, Chad Michael Murray has “no plans to return” to the series. Like Burton, Murray left One Tree Hill after season six, though he made a guest appearance in season nine. And while his character, Lucas Scott, often found himself torn between Peyton and Brooke, the actor himself was married to Bush for five months from 2005 to 2006.
When it came to the original series, Lucas and Petyon were endgame, leaving Tree Hill to raise their daughter Sawyer Brooke Scott. Many fans will definitely not be happy if the new series breaks them up. “Please don’t ruin lucas and peyton’s endgame💔,” one fan commented on Burton's post. “No Leyton, no show.”
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Who is up in the air? Well, everyone else. Deadline reports that there have been “informal conversations” with other members of the ensemble, but no more information has been shared. The biggest question marks are currently surrounding the series' other high school sweethearts: Nathan Scott and Haley James Scott, who were portrayed by James Lafferty and Bethany Joy Lenz.
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Lenz, of course, is the third original co-host of the Drama Queens podcast with Burton and Bush. However, fans suspect Burton and Lenz have been feuding since March, with many believing that it led Burton to step back from the podcast in July.
Fans have very mixed feelings about the whole thing. Of course, so many fans are thrilled about the return of their favourite show. “Full body chills and tears running down my cheeks,” one fan wrote on Instagram. “You guys are taking it all BACK & going back HOME 🥹😭❤️🔥💀”
Given the alleged drama behind the scenes of Drama Queens, however, some fans are concerned that the show will be missing too many key players. “This show can't happen without Joy," one fan commented on the announcement post. “I expect way more out of you both. DO BETTER! There is no OTH without Haley and her music!!”
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TikTok user @itshmarie is proud of Burton and Bush, no matter what the future holds for the series. “This is just a PSA that while not all reboots are going to mesh well with viewers, it's important to note that a reboot like One Tree Hill is going to allow people like Sophia Bush and Hilary Burton Morgan a chance to reclaim that power after working under such a monstrous man,” they said in a video about the sequel.
“While I might not know how I feel about this reboot as an individual, because we don't know who's going to be back and we don't know how the writing's going to be, I am still so very happy to see these beautiful women play my favourite characters again," the fan continued. "Because after listening to their podcast and understanding the conditions that they were working under, I am glad to see them get that power back.”
This post may be updated.
This article originally appeared on GLAMOUR US.
