One Tree Hill sequel release date, returning original cast and storyline explained

6 September 2024, 12:04 | Updated: 10 September 2024, 14:32

By Alice Dear

One Tree Hill will reportedly return for a Netflix sequel series starring Hilarie Burton and Sophie Bush - but when will it be released, who of the original cast is returning and when will it be set?

One Tree Hill fans have been celebrating since Hilaire Burton and Sophia Bush appeared to confirm the hit series will be returning for a sequel in a cryptic social media post, 21 years after the teen drama first debuted.

Hilarie and Sophia first appeared on our screens as Peyton and Brooke in 2003 alongside Chad Michael Murray as Lucas Scott, James Lafferty as Nathan Scott and Bethany Joy Lenz as Hayley James in the teen drama set in the fictional North Carolina town.

The actresses, who played Peyton Sawyer and Brooke Davis, shared a picture of themselves alongside their co-stars Danneel Ackles (who played Rachel) and Bevin Prince (who played Bevin), captioning it with the following message: "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? Honor our fans? Sign us up. 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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This comes amid reports from Deadline that the One Tree Hill reboot is in the works with Netflix and that both Hilarie and Sophia will be executive producing and starring in the upcoming series.

But when will the One Tree Hill sequel series be released? Which of the original cast will return to reprise their roles? And what will the series be about? Here's everything we know so far.

When is the One Tree Hill sequel release date?

The One Tree Hill sequel series is reportedly in the very early stages of production, meaning we won't have a release date for the reboot for sometime yet.

According to Deadline, the series is in the deal-making and development period, however, it is believed Netflix is involved.

Which original cast members are returning for the One Tree Hill sequel?

At the moment, Hilarie Burton and Sophia Bush are the only original cast members to be confirmed for the reboot of One Tree Hill.

The Peyton and Brooke actresses are believed to be starring and executive producing the sequel, with the pair sharing what appears to be a confirmation of their involvement on their Instagram pages.

At the moment, it is unknown whether the other three main characters Chad Michael Murray (Lucas Scott), James Lafferty (Nathan Scott) and Bethany Joy Lenz (Hayley James) have signed on to the project.

According to reports, formal approaches to other original members of the cast are expected when and if the series is green-lighted. Deadline added, however, that Chad "has no plans to return for the follow-up".

When will the One Tree Hill sequel be set and what will it be about?

While details about the One Tree Hill sequel are being kept under wraps for now, there have been some reports of the setting of the series.

The publication reports that the series will take place 20 years after the end of One Tree Hill, following Peyton and Brooke's friendship and exploring how it has changed as they navigate being parents to teenagers.

Have Hilarie Burton and Bethany Joy Lenz fallen out?

Some fans who have previously speculated that there has been a fallout between Hilaire Burton and Bethany Joy Lenz have questioned whether their 'feud' may affect the actress, who played Hayley Scott, from returning to the reboot.

Rumours of bad blood between Hilarie and Bethany first surfaced on 29th February when the actress - who stars on podcast Drama Queens alongside Burton and Bush - revealed the cover art of her memoir Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show.

On the same day, Hilarie allegedly shared a quote on her Instagram stories which read: “I don't think imitation is the highest form of flattery. I think it's annoying." Many fans concluded that this quote was aimed at Bethany due to the cover art for her memoir being similar to that of Burton's own book, Grimoire Girl: A Memoir of Magic and Mischief, which was released in October 2023.

At that time, a fan went digging into the speculation and found that neither Bethany or Hilaire follow each other on Instagram, which remains the same as of 5th September 2024.

The feud speculation was only fuelled further when, on 7th July this year, Hilaire announced she would be leaving the podcast Drama Queens (where the three women re-watch episodes of One Tree Hill and react), telling fans the reason for her departure was due to the fact they have reached the end of the sixth series of episodes, when she left the show for good.

Robert Buckley, who played Clay Evans from season seven to season nine, has taken over Hilaire's role on the podcast.