One Tree Hill star Hilarie Burton discusses how the Netflix sequel show will carry on the legacy of the original. It was announced in August that a revival of One Tree Hill is in development at Netflix. Burton and Sophia Bush are on board as executive producers, in addition to reprising their respective roles as Brooke Davis and Peyton Sawyer, in the sequel show with writer and fellow executive producer Becky Hartman Edwards. But further details about the project have not been revealed.
In an interview with Screen Rant‘s Grant Hermanns, to discuss her upcoming horror movie Bloody Axe Wound, which releases December 27 on Shudder via RLJE Films and Shudder, Burton gave an update on the One Tree Hill sequel. The actor praised Edwards, who will serve as showrunner, though she cautioned that the revival is not greenlit yet and is still early in the process. In the quote below, Burton also teased returning to a familiar location of Wilmington, North Carolina while introducing the show to a new audience:
We were very, very lucky that we got a showrunner, Becky Hartman Edwards, who is so experienced, and her ability to connect with her writers room, the people on set, all the actors, she is magical at that. So, we get to be hands off in that capacity and really be more on the business side of things. You know, “How are we going to go back to Wilmington, North Carolina, and have it feel like the good old days, but also be new and fresh for a brand new audience?” So, we’re in the very, very, very early stages. Nothing is greenlit at this point, but I know it’s being presented, and I believe in it, and I’m proud of it, and I love that family of people, so fingers crossed. If it goes, I think everyone will be in a really good place.
Things Could Change
The project hails from Warner Bros. TV, with Jensen Ackles and Danneel Ackles also executive producing through their Chaos Machine banner. In the initial report, it was mentioned that Netflix and WB were interested in a One Tree Hill revival party because of how successful the limited-run Gilmore Girls sequel was for Netflix. Still, Burton’s remarks serve as an optimistic caution.
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It is still early, which means that any headlines about which former co-stars might join Burton and Bush could change as the situation develops. Netflix could also decide to pass on the sequel show. But it seems that, so far, the progress is going well and the OTH follow-up could be in a unique position to do something different.
Our Take On One Tree Hill
It Really Could Be A New Generation
The original One Tree Hill ran for 9 seasons and 187 episodes, becoming one of the relatively few series to to make the jump from The WB to The CW. The idea of interrogating what has changed not just for the characters but for television as a whole since the finale in 2012 could mean the difference between yet another reboot and something truly worthwhile.
Set in the fictional town of Tree Hill, North Carolina, One Tree Hill chronicles the complicated and intertwined lives of its residents. Following half-brothers and rivals Lucas and Nathan Scott as they compete both for positions on their school basketball team and for the affection of their fellow students, Tree Hill’s community is built around community spirit and the complex workings of the ever-growing Scott family.
- Release Date
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September 23, 2003
- Cast
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Chad Michael Murray
, James Lafferty
, Hilarie Burton
, Paul Johansson
, Sophia Bush
, Barry Corbin
, Craig Sheffer
, Bethany Joy Lenz
, Moira Kelly - Seasons
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9
- Showrunner
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Mark Schwahn