Musical dramedy series “Glee” is officially heading back to the screen after Disney+ and Hulu issued a reboot series order on Wednesday, October 21, 2026.
Produced by 20th Television, the upcoming revival brings back the franchise created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan, Deadline and Variety reported. The original high school musical comedy ran for six seasons on Fox from 2009 to 2015, chronicling the trials of the fictional New Directions show choir at William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio.
Original creators and cast conversations
Murphy, who won an Emmy Award for directing the original pilot, revealed in a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight that he collaborated with Brennan and Falchuk on a fresh script for the project. Murphy noted that he had spoken to approximately 10 former cast members about participating.
“It’s very sweet, and they all had a lot of questions, but they all were very enthusiastic about the idea,” Murphy said, as reported by Variety.
Official casting announcements have not yet been made, and streaming executives have not disclosed a release date. However, several original cast members have publicly weighed in on the prospect of returning to McKinley High. Lea Michele recently told E! News that she would gladly take part in a revival, stating she would follow Murphy wherever he leads. Max George of The Wanted, who appeared during the show’s sixth season, told BBC Scotland that he reached out to the casting director following Wednesday’s announcement.
Other former stars expressed mixed feelings. Chris Colfer, who portrayed Kurt Hummel, told Bustle that returning would be emotionally challenging following the death of co-star Naya Rivera, who died in 2020. Yet Colfer acknowledged the enduring enthusiasm of the audience, joking that viewers might chase him down with pitchforks and jazz hands if he declined.
A massive pop culture footprint
During its initial broadcast run, “Glee” evolved from an offbeat television experiment into an international cultural powerhouse. Across six seasons, the program collected six Emmy Awards and regularly dominated music charts by releasing covers of popular tracks immediately after episodes aired, TVLine reported. In 2010, the ensemble surpassed The Beatles for the most Billboard Hot 100 entries by a non-solo act, according to BBC News.
The program also received widespread attention for weaving musical numbers around heavy topics, including race, disability, sexuality and mental health. Popular numbers ranged from Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin'” to covers of “Smooth Criminal” and “River Deep, Mountain High.”
The production was also marked by off-screen tragedies among its ensemble. Cory Monteith died from an overdose in 2013 while the series was still airing. Mark Salling died by suicide in 2018. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988.
What lies ahead for New Directions
Disney noted that the show continues to maintain strong engagement on modern platforms, averaging roughly 4 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Murphy highlighted that dynamic in July while discussing renewed interest from younger audiences who discovered the show through streaming.
Specific plot points remain undisclosed, and it is not yet known whether the revival will introduce an entirely fresh crop of students or center primarily around familiar faces returning to Lima as adults.
