Fifteen years after its groundbreaking debut and a decade since its final episode wrapped, the beloved Emmy-winning musical comedy series *Glee* is officially set to make its return, after a formal announcement from Disney and Hulu on the show’s official social media channels this Wednesday.
Created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan, the series first premiered on Fox in 2009, following the ragtag group of underdog students in McKinley High School’s show choir New Directions based in Lima, Ohio. Over six seasons that ran through 2015, the show chronicled the group’s ups and downs on and off the competition stage, blending catchy musical performances with heartfelt storytelling that addressed underrepresented topics including sexuality, racial inequality, disability accessibility, and adolescent mental health. Much of the series’ core magic centered on its core cast: Matthew Morrison as optimistic glee club director Will Schuester, Jane Lynch as iconic sharp-tongued cheerleading coach and frequent glee club antagonist Sue Sylvester, Lea Michele as ambitious leading singer Rachel Berry, Cory Monteith as popular quarterback turned choir member Finn Hudson, Amber Riley as talented underrated vocalist Mercedes Jones, Chris Colfer as outcast student Kurt Hummel, and Naya Rivera as quick-witted fan-favorite Santana Lopez, among many others.
Beyond its boundary-pushing storytelling, *Glee* left an indelible mark on pop music culture. The choir’s viral covers of classic hits from decades prior – including Journey’s *Don’t Stop Believin’*, *River Deep, Mountain High*, and *Smooth Criminal* – introduced iconic older tracks to millions of younger listeners, repositioning decades-old hits on music charts. By 2010, the series’ cast had broken a decades-old record, overtaking The Beatles as the non-solo musical act with the most appearances on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. That same year, the series launched a sold-out national concert tour that was later adapted into a feature documentary film.
News of the reboot has been months in the making. Co-creator Ryan Murphy confirmed in a recent interview with *Entertainment Tonight* that he has already completed a first draft of the reboot script alongside original collaborators Falchuk and Brennan, and has already connected with roughly 10 members of the original cast to share the concept. “It’s very sweet, they all had a lot of questions but they all were very enthusiastic about the idea,” Murphy said, noting that no cast member has formally received a full script to review yet. He added that he is intentionally taking time to share the concept with the original cast first, given the close bonds the team formed during production.
Multiple original cast members have already publicly shared their enthusiasm for a return. Lead actress Lea Michele, who played Rachel Berry, previously told *E! News* that she would jump at the chance to reprise her role, echoing Jane Lynch’s earlier positive comments. “I will always love Glee,” Michele said. “It just holds such a special place in my heart for me… I will follow Ryan wherever he goes.” British singer Max George, who guest starred in the show’s sixth season, told BBC Scotland Wednesday that his experience on the series was one of the highlights of his career, and that he has already reached out to the show’s casting director to express his interest in returning. George also noted that a 10-year break feels like the perfect gap for a revival. “It was probably coming towards the end in terms of the storylines and everything, but 10 years has gone by, and Ryan Murphy will probably come up with something genius. So I’m expecting big things,” he said.
However, the reboot also comes with significant emotional weight, following three tragic early deaths of original cast members that have left lasting impacts on the cast and fanbase. Kurt Hummel actor Chris Colfer recently acknowledged to *Bustle* that bringing the series back would be deeply challenging following the 2020 accidental drowning death of Naya Rivera, who played Santana Lopez, at age 33. “It was a really tough show to do, and it would be really hard to do it now that Naya is gone,” Colfer said. The actor also noted that fan enthusiasm for a reboot is so strong that he would not rule out participating: “But I do know that Glee fans would probably come after me with pitchforks and jazz hands if I said no. So I don’t know, but hopefully I’ll have more information and I can actually think about it.” Rivera’s death marked the third tragic loss for the *Glee* family: Monteith, who played Finn Hudson, died in 2013 at 31 from a combined alcohol and heroin overdose, while original cast member Mark Salling died by suicide in 2018 at 35 while awaiting sentencing on child pornography charges.
Interest in a *Glee* reunion has grown steadily in recent months, with multiple casual cast meetups stirring fan excitement. Just this past Sunday, Darren Criss – who played Blaine Anderson, glee club member and Kurt Hummel’s long-time love interest – brought out Colfer for a surprise duet of *Baby It’s Cold Outside* during a performance at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Earlier this month, original cast members Harry Shum Jr. and Amber Riley reunited on the competition series *Dancing with the Stars*, giving fans another glimpse of the on-screen chemistry that made the original series a hit.
As of the announcement, no release date or full cast lineup has been confirmed for the reboot.