[category]
[title]
Big news, Gleeks: Disney+ and Hulu have officially ordered a revival of Glee, the teen musical TV series that ran on FOX from 2009-2015 and inspired thousands of earnest a cappella videos.
The original series followed New Directions, the newly formed glee club at McKinley High School, and its teacher Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) as they attempted to exist as a lower-status club full of theater geeks and general nerds. An Emmy-winning pop-cultural phenomenon, the musical-comedy memorably featured both group performances and situational covers of popular pop, rock and Broadway songs woven into highly-dramatic high school situations.
RECOMMENDED: A new Bridgerton prequel will follow young Lady Violet's love story
In addition to Morrison, the cast included Jane Lynch (as wickedly sardonic cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester), Jayma Mays (as sweet guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury) and Jessalyn Gilsig (as Will's manipulative wife Terri), as well as a plucky band of fresh faces: Lea Michele, Cory Montieth, Dianna Agron, Chris Colfer, Kevin McHale, Amber Riley, Jenna Ushkowitz and Mark Salling.
View this post on Instagram
News of an official Glee reboot wasn't entirely a surprise—in an interview with Entertainment Tonight last month, series so-creator, writer, and director Ryan Murphy revealed that a reboot script was in the works, and 10 original cast members were interested in bringing it to life. According to a Variety exclusive, one such star is stage icon Lea Michele, who will reportedly reprise her role as the off-putting but exceptionally talented soprano Rachel Berry.
Disney has not yet revealed who’s involved—since the show ended, tragically, main cast members Cory Montieth, Mark Salling and Naya Rivera have all passed away—or a timeline of any sorts. According to The Hollywood Reporter, sources say things are still being finalized but that it’s safe to say Murphy will be involved.
O.G. Glee star Chris Colfer, who played campy countertenor Kurt Hummel for all six seasons of the FOX series, told Bustle that 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,’” he admitted.
He’s not wrong. And apart from the real-life tragedies that have given rise to the so-called "Glee Curse," it will also be mighty tough for Murphy and Co. to recapture the lightning-in-a-bottle success of the show's original run. Regardless, we'll keep you abreast of any and all gleeful news!