On Wednesday, Oct. 21, Disney+ and Hulu announced that they've placed a series order for Glee. I'll be honest about my first reaction: I smiled, and then I got a little nervous, which is probably how half the internet felt. Glee is one of those shows people love loudly and argue about even louder, and a reboot lands right in the middle of that.
So here's how I want to handle this. First, a clean separation of what's actually confirmed from what's only reported. Second, a roll call of the cast, since that's what everyone is searching for. And third, my own opinion, because anyone can tell you a reboot was ordered. My opinion is that the best version of this show is a new class with the originals as guests, not a reunion tour.
A quick note on how early this is. Disney's announcement was thin. In the coverage I read, there's no logline, no cast list, no production start and no premiere date. That means this isn't a preview. It's a map of the blank spaces, plus a point of view.
The Key Points
- Disney+ and Hulu placed a series order for a Glee reboot on Oct. 21, 2026, with 20th Television producing. Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan, the original creators, have written a script, according to Murphy himself.
- Variety reports Lea Michele is returning as Rachel Berry. TheWrap, as summarized by T Break, describes her as in talks. Disney hasn't confirmed anyone, and no premiere date or episode count has been announced.
- My take: Glee already survived a graduating class once, so the strongest move is a new generation of misfits with the originals visiting, not leading. That's my opinion, not a report.
What is actually confirmed about the Glee reboot, and what did Disney leave out?
Start with the part that's solid. According to Variety, TVLine and TheWrap, Disney+ and Hulu gave Glee a series order on Oct. 21, with 20th Television producing, the same studio that made the original. E! News quotes a Disney press release that was essentially one sentence confirming the order. A series order is a bigger deal than a development deal, because it's a commitment to make episodes, though it still doesn't tell us who's in them.
The creative side is a little less formal but still on the record. Murphy told Entertainment Tonight in September that he had just finished a script, and that he wrote it with Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan, his original Glee co-creators. He also said he'd been in touch with roughly ten members of the original cast, who had plenty of questions but were enthusiastic. Popviewers adds that Murphy described the trio, who wrote the first two seasons, as having written something new.
Said out loud
- A series order at Disney+ and Hulu, announced Oct. 21, 2026.
- 20th Television is the studio, per Variety and TheWrap.
- Murphy, Falchuk and Brennan have written a script, per Murphy.
- Murphy says he has spoken with about ten original cast members.
Still blank
- Premiere date and episode count. Nothing announced.
- Any official cast, new or returning.
- Whether the show returns to McKinley High or starts somewhere new.
- Who runs the show. TheWrap notes it's unknown how the trio would divide showrunning, or whether a new showrunner joins.
Variety's summary says Disney shared nothing beyond the studio and the platforms, and that's the cleanest way I can put it. Everything else you're reading in headlines right now is reporting, speculation or hope.
Act II · The Roll CallWho is in the Glee reboot? A roll call of the original cast, from reported to blank
This is the question driving most of the searches, so I sorted every name I could actually source into a single list. I'm only using what outlets reported or what the actors themselves said, and I've marked how solid each line is. The chips are my own shorthand, not Disney's.
- Lea MicheleRachel BerryReported
Variety's exclusive headline says she's returning as Rachel. TheWrap, as relayed by T Break, says she's in talks, and FanBolt says Deadline framed it more cautiously as talks. Disney hasn't confirmed it. Backstage reports she has said she'd happily step back up to the mic if it's the right fit.
- Heather MorrisBrittanyTeased
T Break's summary of TheWrap says she has teased Brittany's return on Instagram. I didn't see the post myself, so I'm treating it as a wink, not an announcement.
- Chris ColferKurt HummelNot announced
In an interview with Bustle, relayed by BroadwayWorld on Oct. 7, he said he knew nothing and had heard nothing, but that he'd consider it if approached. FanBolt's post-order roundup repeats that he says he hasn't been contacted. Hollywood Life reports he was not onboard with a reboot back in 2019, which makes his October comments a notable shift.
- Matthew MorrisonWill SchuesterNot announced
Hollywood Life's roundup says he previously confirmed he wouldn't want to play Will again. That roundup is from before the order and undated in the version I found, so treat it as history, not a current stance.
- About ten original cast membersUnnamedUnnamed
Murphy says he's talked to roughly that many and that they were enthusiastic. He hasn't said who.
- Everyone else on the original call sheetJane Lynch, Amber Riley, Darren Criss, Kevin McHale, Jenna Ushkowitz, Dianna Agron, Harry Shum Jr., Jayma Mays, Chord Overstreet and moreBlank
In the coverage I read, none of them were confirmed or reported as in talks. That's not a sign they won't be there. It's a sign nobody has said.
One more thing belongs in this section, and I want to say it plainly. Several members of the original cast are gone. Cory Monteith died in July 2013, while the show was still in production, and the series honored him and his character, Finn Hudson, in an episode called "The Quarterback." Mark Salling died in 2018, and Naya Rivera in 2020, according to TVLine. Any roll call of Glee is incomplete without that, and I think any reboot that ignores it would miss something real.
Act III · The BackstoryHow did the Glee reboot happen, from Ryan Murphy's first hint to a series order?
It moved faster than I expected. The timeline below comes from TVLine, E! News and the trade reports, and I've kept to dates the outlets themselves gave.
At the premiere of his FX drama The Shards, Murphy tells People that young people are still watching Glee and suggests revisiting it in some form.
On the red carpet for the American Horror Story Season 13 premiere, Murphy tells Entertainment Tonight he just finished a script with Falchuk and Brennan and has spoken with about ten original cast members.
Colfer tells Bustle he knows nothing about the reboot, per BroadwayWorld, while saying he'd consider it if asked.
Disney+ and Hulu place the series order. Variety reports Lea Michele is returning. Disney says nothing about cast, date or format.
From script to order, E! News counts about a month. That's quick, and it tells me Disney saw something it liked, or at least something it believes in as a brand. And the brand is strong: the original ran six seasons on Fox from 2009 to 2015, and TVLine notes it's still a top performer on streaming.
That last number is mine. Counting from the finale BroadwayWorld dates to March 20, 2015, it's about eleven and a half years. Long enough for the kids who watched it live to have kids of their own, which is, I think, the quiet reason this reboot makes sense now.
Act IV · My TakeShould the Glee reboot bring everyone back or start with a new class? My take
Here's my view, and I'll say up front it's an opinion, not reporting. A reboot built on a full cast reunion would be a wonderful photo op and a tricky show. Every returning actor brings a decade of life, careers and complicated feelings about the original, and the story would have to explain all of it. A new class with the originals dropping in lets the show breathe.
The strongest evidence for this is the show itself. According to Wikipedia's summary of the Season 4 premiere, which aired Sept. 13, 2012, Rachel left for the New York Academy of the Dramatic Arts while the McKinley glee club had to regroup after losing eight seniors to graduation. TVLine adds that later seasons introduced several generations of new characters, including Melissa Benoist, Alex Newell, Becca Tobin and Josie Totah. Glee has already done the "new class" thing, and it worked well enough to launch real careers.
The reboot has a few possible shapes, and Disney hasn't picked one publicly. Here are the three I think are realistic, with my honest ranking.
The Reunion Tour
What it isMostly returning cast, a few years later.
UpsideInstant nostalgia and built-in headlines.
RiskThe story spends its time explaining where everyone has been. Several beloved characters can't return, and the show would feel those absences constantly.
The New ClassMy vote
What it isNew kids at a glee club, with original characters visiting as mentors, rivals or surprises.
UpsideIt protects what made the show special while giving the cast a reason to appear without carrying the plot.
RiskFans who came for specific characters may feel they got a cameo reel.
The Hybrid
What it isA new ensemble and a few returning leads sharing the story.
UpsideIt splits the difference, much like Season 4 did.
RiskIt's the hardest balance in television. Give the originals too much and the new kids vanish; too little and nobody cares why they're there.
My five-track setlist for the Glee reboot
Since I'm already deep in opinion territory, here's what I'd put on the album if someone handed me the keys. These are mine, not reported, and I'd be happy to be wrong about any of them.
Open with a new voice.
The first scene should belong to a kid who isn't Rachel. The original pilot made us fall for the outsiders, and the reboot should do the same for a new group.
Let the originals walk in, not take over.
The best cameo makes the audience gasp and then gets out of the way. Keep returning characters in service of the new story.
Keep the swing.
Glee was at its best when it was silly and sincere in the same scene. The reboot shouldn't sand that down into something safer. I want the big, unashamed energy back.
Treat the music like a character, not a playlist.
TVLine notes the original topped the iTunes charts and released singles the day after episodes aired. In that spirit, the songs should drive the story, not decorate it.
Make room for the empty chairs.
Quietly acknowledge the people who aren't here. The original knew how to honor someone without making a spectacle of it, and that's a skill worth remembering.
That's my optimistic read. A Glee reboot could be a warm, funny reminder of why people loved show choir stories in the first place. It could also be a nostalgic misfire. The difference lives in decisions nobody has made yet, which is why I find this the most fun moment to talk about it.
Act VI · The Catch-UpWhere to watch Glee now and how to catch up before the reboot
A Yahoo Entertainment piece from this week says all 121 episodes of the original stream on Hulu, and a TV Insider listing also shows the six seasons on Disney+. Catalogs vary by country and plan, so check your own app before you count on it.
If you only have a weekend, I'd start with Seasons 1 and 2. That's 44 episodes, by my addition of the standard 22-episode seasons, and they're the seasons Murphy says he, Falchuk and Brennan wrote. If those two seasons are the blueprint the creators are returning to, that's the best place to understand what they might be chasing. Season 4's premiere is a useful bookmark too, because it's the clearest example of the show handing the spotlight to a new group.
The Rapid RoundGlee reboot questions, answered fast
Is the Glee reboot actually happening?
Yes. Disney+ and Hulu placed a series order on Oct. 21, 2026, with 20th Television producing. That's more than a development announcement, though no premiere date has been given.
Is Lea Michele in the Glee reboot?
Reported, not confirmed. Variety says she's returning as Rachel Berry, while TheWrap, as relayed by T Break, says she's in talks. Disney has not announced any casting.
When is the Glee reboot release date?
There isn't one. Disney's announcement didn't include a premiere date, a production start or an episode count.
Who is making the Glee reboot?
20th Television is producing for Disney+ and Hulu. Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan, the original creators, have written a script, per Murphy. Who will run the show hasn't been announced.
Will the original Glee cast return?
Murphy says he's spoken with about ten original cast members and that they were enthusiastic. Nobody beyond the Lea Michele reports has been confirmed.
Will the Glee reboot be set at McKinley High?
Unknown. Disney hasn't said whether it follows returning characters, a new generation or both.
Where will the Glee reboot stream?
On Disney+ and Hulu, according to the order announcement.
How many episodes of Glee are there?
The original has 121 episodes across six seasons, which ran on Fox from 2009 to 2015, per BroadwayWorld.
Did Glee win major awards?
Yes. TVLine counts six Emmy Awards, and Backstage says it also won four Golden Globes, including two for best musical or comedy series.
Do I need to rewatch Glee before the reboot?
Nothing about the plot has been revealed, so no. If you want a refresher, Seasons 1 and 2 are my suggestion, but that's a guess, not a requirement.
