The “Glee-boot” is official, and Lea Michele is keen to return.
A reboot of the Emmy-winning hit musical dramedy series about a high school glee club is set to go forward at Disney+ and Hulu, the streamers announced Wednesday. Hours later, Variety reported that Michele was a go to reprise Rachel Berry.
Co-creator and showrunner Ryan Murphy had been teasing the notion for months. In July he let slip that his love for the show, combined with its popularity among a new generation of youngsters, had him considering it. Last month, he told an Entertainment Tonight reporter seeking more information, “Well, funny you ask, ’cause I just finished the script an hour ago.”
Murphy also revealed that he and co-writers Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan, “who wrote all the first two seasons, have written something” and that he had “been in touch with around 10 of the original cast members,” who “had a lot of questions” but “were all very enthusiastic.”
As rumors swirled, original cast members weighed in on the idea. Jane Lynch indicated she’d jump at the chance to reprise her role as cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester, telling the “Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce” podcast she’d “be the first in line to do it” if the opportunity arose.
Michele told E! News that “Glee” occupies “a special place in my heart” and said she would “follow Ryan wherever he goes.”
Chris Colfer, who brought gay teen Kurt Hummel to life — and love — in the series, quipped to Bustle that although it would be difficult to do the show without the late Naya Rivera, “I do know that ‘Glee’ fans would probably come after me with pitchforks and jazz hands if I said no.”
Rivera, who drowned accidentally in California’s Lake Piru in 2020, is one of three main cast members who have died since the show debuted. Cory Monteith, who played singing jock Finn Hudson, died of an overdose in 2013, and his off-screen death was written into the third episode of the series’ fifth season. Mark Salling, who portrayed Noah “Puck” Puckerman on the show, died by suicide in 2018, weeks before he was due to be sentenced for possession of child sex abuse materials.
The original “Glee” ran on Fox from 2009 and 2015 and followed a fictional group of high school show choir members in Lima, Ohio, and, after graduation, in New York City. Stars included Amber Riley, Darren Criss, Aaron Tveit, Jonathan Groff, Heather Morris, Kevin McHale and a host of others. Guest stars abounded in the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth, Patti LuPone, Victor Garber, Josh Groban and Neil Patrick Harris, to name just a few.
During its six seasons “Glee” received 32 Emmy nominations and won four; won four of nine Golden Globe nominations, and was honored with two GLAAD Media Awards, plus a Peabody Award.
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