Even almost 25 years since its premiere on The WB, One Tree Hill remains one of the most beloved teen drama series in television history. Still to this day, fans rewatch the complete series on streaming and attend fan conventions around the world. Naturally, the news that a revival series was in the works on Netflix was by far the most exciting prospect imaginable.
Word that Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton Morgan were developing a One Tree Hill sequel series at Netflix as executive producers and were set to reprise their roles as Brooke Davis and Peyton Sawyer first leaked back in August 2024. Since then, the show has been in the works with updates few and far between. However, now it sounds like the revival might not be happening.
Sophia Bush remaining 'patient' for One Tree Hill reboot
While attending the annual Elton John AIDS Foundation’s Oscars party, Sophia Bush spoke with Entertainment Tonight and gave the most telling update on the One Tree Hill revival yet. Unfortunately, Bush didn't provide a very promising answer about the status of the developing reboot and seemed to dance around the obvious truth between the lines: It's going to be an uphill battle.
As Bush explained to ET, "You know, we have done such great work, and it’s been really incredible to see every single person in our cast got excited about that phone call, had amazing ideas about where their characters would be, what stories they’d want to explore. I would say that we’re all very aware of what’s happening to media right now and who media is being bought by. And I don’t know that any of us are the current media conglomerates’ best friends or favorite people. But I’m okay with that. I’m patient, if nothing else. That’s the classiest way I can say it."
In case you're confused about what Bush might be alluding to, Netflix was previously in the process of purchasing Warner Bros., but the streaming service was ultimately outbid by Paramount. The media company is now in the process of acquiring Warner Bros., which is an unprecedented merger between two of the biggest media companies in the entertainment industry.
What's so significant about this merger when it comes to the One Tree Hill revival series? Well, the teen drama was produced and remains owned by Warner Bros. The process of WB working with Netflix to bring a revival to the streamer was likely an already challenging process, but now that Paramount could be in the mix, it's territory that's even more uncharted.
It's worth noting that Bush didn't flat out say that One Tree Hill won't be coming back, but given her words about the complicated nature of the behind-the-scenes deals, a revival definitely won't be hitting our screens as soon as possible. The actress didn't reveal any further updates about the writing or casting processes, which might have even halted given the uncertain status.
If you're wondering why the revival couldn't just move to HBO Max or Paramount+, that's a question that's too complex and foggy to even ponder right now, but it's also probably not that simple. Bush appears willing to remain patient and see how the chips fall for the media conglomerates in the near future, and she doesn't appear to be giving up the fight to return to Tree Hill.
Most recently, Hulu passed on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot-revival series pilot Buffy: New Sunnydale, which found Sarah Michelle Gellar reprising her iconic character and teaming up with Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao. Gellar revealed that one particular Hulu executive killed the project. That's all to say that the waters might not be so friendly right now for legacy content.
Unlike Buffy, there's no official word that Netflix has passed on the One Tree Hill revival or that it's no longer in development. Also, there hasn't been pilot episode filmed. The project could be stalled while also still being in development, but concrete updates will continue to be scarce as we near the two-year mark of the initial announcement of the revival. Keep your fingers crossed!