Gleek Glee As Glee Set To Return To Screens In New Reboot
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2 minutes ago
Here's everything we know about the new series, including the confirmed cast members set to star
The campiest, most controversial show on TV is back for a reboot. On the page, Glee sounds wholesome enough: a musical dramedy series about a show choir from Lima, Ohio, dealing with the highs and lows of high school. But as fans return to watch the 2010s classic with 2020 vision, they’ve discovered some eyebrow-raising content between the song covers.
Glee first premiered on Fox in 2009 and concluded in 2015. Created by Ryan Murphy – of American Horror Story fame, and All’s Fair infamy – the six-season series took a somewhat questionable approache to sexuality, race, disability, mental health and just how much grinding and twerking is appropriate between teacher and pupil. And reports suggest there was just as much drama off the screen as on.
The musical dramedy series amassed a cult following throughout the 2010s, with its army of loyal fans (known as Gleeks) often pronouncing to prefer the show’s covers to the original hits. Even today, the soundtrack averages 4.1 million monthly listeners on Spotify. And it seems that a bunch of new songs are about to get the show choir treatment, as Disney+ and Hulu have greenlit a brand new Glee reboot. Here’s everything we know so far.
What Will Happen In The New Glee Reboot?
As for now, details of the new show are few and far between. Disney has shared nothing aside from the fact that it’s being produced by 20th Television and will air on Hulu and Disney+.
What Happened In The Glee Series Finale?
The two-part series finale of Glee (episodes 12 and 13, season 6) aired on 20 March 2015. The first of the two episodes, ‘2009’ was a flashback to how the original members of New Directions (Kurt, Mercedes, Tina, Artie, and Rachel) first decided to join the glee club.
The second of the two episodes was a flashforward episode titled ‘Dreams Come True’. In the present day we watch as New Directions wins the national show-choir championship and McKinley High School is converted into a performing arts school. Will Schuester becomes the school’s principal, and Sam Evans takes over as the director of the Glee Club. In the flashforward we see Rachel Berry marry Jesse St. James, win a Tony Award, and serve as a surrogate mother for Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson; Kurt and Blaine become Broadway stars; Mercedes Jones tours as the opening act for Beyoncé; and Sue Sylvester is elected Vice President of the United States. The flashforward took place in 2020, meaning that if we take it as canon, it looks like there’s plenty to look forward to for our characters come the late 2020s.
The finale also served as a tribute honouring actor Cory Monteith (Finn Hudson in the show) who died on 13 July 2013 from a heroin and alcohol overdose. In the final episode the McKinley High auditorium is officially rededicated as the Finn Hudson Auditorium, and the entire ensemble reunites on stage for a final performance of ‘I Lived’.
Who Will Star?
Full casting information is not yet known, though we suspect that several of the stars will return. ‘I’ve been in touch with around 10 of the original cast members,’ Murphy told Entertainment Tonight. ‘It’s very sweet, and they all had a lot of questions, but they all were very enthusiastic about the idea.’ The original core cast included Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Matthew Morrison, Jane Lynch, Dianna Agron, Chris Colfer, Darren Criss, Amber Riley, Naya Rivera, Heather Morris, Kevin McHale, Jenna Ushkowitz, Harry Shum Jr., Chord Overstreet, Mark Salling and more.
Unfortunately, Cory Monteith, Mark Salling and Naya Rivera are no longer with us. Salling died by suicide in 2018 after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography. Meanwhile, Rivera tragically died in 2020 aged 33, after drowning in a lake while saving her young son.
So far, Lea Michele is the only cast member confirmed to be starring in the new series. ‘She’s in,’ one source told Variety. ‘It’s still early-ish days, but it feels good and we’re happy to get the band back together,’ said another. Lea Michele told E! News she’d love to join a reboot: ‘I love Glee. I will always love Glee. I love Ryan Murphy. It just holds such a special place in my heart for me… I will follow Ryan wherever he goes.’ Two of Michele’s castmates have also made social media posts that seem to confirm their return: Heather Morris (Brittany Pierce) and Chord Overstreet (Sam Evans).
However, Michele’s involvement might put off a few of her other former castmates. Multiple cast members have come out since the show accusing Michele of bullying and harassment. Samantha Marie Ware (who played Jane Hayward) accused Michele of microaggressions, daily harassment, and a specific racist comment about her hair. Co-stars Amber Riley and Alex Newell publicly supported Ware’s claims.
Heather Morris stated that the cast was ‘scared’ to report Michele’s behavior to Fox executives and confirmed she was unpleasant to work with. In her 2016 memoir Sorry Not Sorry, the late Naya Rivera stated that working with Michele was difficult and caused off-screen friction. Dabier Snell who played an unnamed student in the series claimed that Michele barred him from sitting at the cast table during guest appearances on the show. Michele has since apologised for her on-set behaviour via Instagram.
When Will It Air?
There’s been no confirmed release date from Disney as of yet. Typically shows take one to three years to be made once greenlit, so a 2028 or 2029 release date looks most likely.
You can stream the original Glee series on Disney+.
