One Tree Hill Reboot Receives Major Update: Fans Demand Return of Beloved Characters

The fan-favourite series, set in the fictional North Carolina town of Tree Hill, centred around two half-brothers, Nathan (James Lafferty) and Lucas (Chad Michael Murray), whose deep-rooted rivalry played out on both the basketball court and in school. However, things took an unexpected turn when school bully Nathan fell in love with wallflower Haley (Bethany Joy Lenz), who also happened to be Lucas’ best friend.

Over the course of nine seasons, the show tackled a number of hard-hitting issues, including teen pregnancy, marriage, school shootings, drug abuse, and kidnap. It’s been over 20 years since its premiere, and fans are still in love with the show, with many flocking to the charming port city of Wilmington, where the series was filmed.

The Highly Anticipated One Tree Hill Reboot Confirmed

Viewers were delighted when a reboot was confirmed last year. In a report by Deadline, it was announced that the CW drama would be making its way to streaming giant Netflix. The publication revealed that Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton are set to reprise their respective roles of Brooke Davis and Peyton Sawyer, as well as serving as executive producers. Jensen Ackles and his wife Danneel will also executive produce through their Chaos Machine banner, with Danneel in talks to return as Rachel Gatina.

Production Updates and Progress

Speaking to People in April, Hilarie Burton said she was pleased with the reboot’s progress, but wasn’t able to divulge too many details. “We’re at the phase right now where I can’t say anything. Before I could be like, ‘Oh, there’s a little bit of movement,” she shared. “There’s lots of good things cooking right now, and there’s really smart, caring people working on it. And that’s always a fun thing to be a part of.”

Now, it seems the revival could be heading to screens sooner than we think, as producer Jensen Ackles shared a promising filming update this week. “That’s a better question for my wife. Danneel and Sophia and Hilarie are moving quickly. I have kind of stepped back and just focused on what I’m doing,” he told Collider. “She’s manning the helm with that. I’m certainly on all the emails and keeping up with the progress, but it’s moving quickly. I think everybody’s hoping to be to camera this year.”

Fan Demand: The Call for Nathan and Haley’s Return

After hearing Jensen’s comments, legions of OTH fans took to social media to share their excitement. However, many have also issued the same demand after a number of the original stars haven’t yet been confirmed to appear in the reboot.

Bethany Joy Lenz, who played Haley, has said she’s “absolutely open” to being part of a revisiting of One Tree Hill, but “didn’t know” if she was going to be involved in this particular reboot. Meanwhile, Nathan star James Lafferty has alluded to not being able to take part, as his focus lies with his comedy show, Everyone is Doing Great.

Fans were quick to voice their opinions online:

• “Honestly why have a reboot without Nathan or Haley?” one fan wrote on TikTok.
• Another added: “I won’t watch without Nathan and Haley.”
• A third said: “Without Nathan and Haley together, and Lucas and Peyton there is no reboot.”
• While another similarly shared: “As much as I’m obsessed with OTH it’s either all of them or nothing. It’ll suck without the entire main cast as that’s what made the show.”

What’s Next for the Tree Hill Revival?

It’s been reported that Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton are open to bringing other characters back, so fingers crossed we’ll get some Naley return news soon.

One Tree Hill is available to stream on Hulu.