It's been over a decade since the final episode of the hugely popular TV series, One tree hill, It aired exactly 12 years ago. Now, finally, the long-awaited second part of the show has become a reality, much to the delight and excitement of longtime fans. As August came to a close, Deadline brought the news that One tree hill Netflix was in the works to produce a second season of the series starring the original stars of the series, Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton. Bush and Burton are set to executive produce the series and reprise their roles as Brooke Davis and Peyton Sawyer, respectively.
Original version One tree hill The series follows half-brothers Lucas Scott, played by Chad Michael Murray, and Nathan Scott, played by James Lafferty, as they go from rivals to real-life brothers. Following the series' life cycle, and venturing down a different path with a greater focus on females, the sequel is set to make Brooke and Peyton and their teenage children its primary focus. Set 20 years after the original show, the sequel is said to chronicle Brooke and Peyton's journey as parents, documenting how they coach their children through life's ups and downs, helping them face the same milestones and challenges that Brooke and Peyton themselves faced in their lives. One tree hill.
Sophia Bush and Hilary Burton will return
The sequel series is still in its early stages, and at the time of writing, Only Bush and Burton have been confirmed to return as original stars for the sequel series.Although only two names have been confirmed, several others have indicated their desire to return. In the comments section of Burton's Instagram post announcing the sequel, several former actors expressed their desire to return. One tree hill Cast members, including: Gina Kramer, Robert Buckley and Barbara Alyn Woods have expressed their strong desire to return to the show.However, no official news regarding the return of other cast members has been confirmed yet.
In addition to Burton and Bush, viewers may see another familiar face returning. Talks are said to be underway to cast Daniel Ackles in the sequel. Ackles played Rachel Gatina, formerly Scott, in the original series. Rachel was introduced in season three of One tree hill She was positioned as an antagonist to Brooke's character. Rachel was a threat to Brooke's position as cheerleader and threatened her relationship with Lucas Scott.
However, over time, the duo found mutual respect for each other and became close friends. However, Rachel's story did not end happily in the original series, as it was revealed that she had only married her husband Dan Scott for his money. Dan and Rachel's relationship ended on unpleasant terms, with Dan referring to Rachel as one of his enemies.
Chad Michael Murray will not be back.
While many of the original cast have expressed interest in returning for the sequel, One notable name that has been confirmed early on that he will not be appearing is Chad Michael Murray.The actor played Lucas Scott, a key character in One tree hill Murray returned to the original series for six seasons, returning as a guest star in season nine. Given Murray's central role in the original series and the fact that he was married to Peyton Sawyer, many assumed that his return, alongside Burton's Peyton, would be a foregone conclusion. However, in their announcement of the sequel, Deadline said:
Murray, who played Lucas Scott for six seasons and returned as a guest star in season nine, has no plans to return for the next installment, as far as we know.
Whatever way the sequel chooses to cut Lucas out of the picture, it will undoubtedly be disappointing for fans. One option is for Lucas and Peyton to have broken up by the time the sequel begins. The other option is to eliminate Lucas. Both options would leave fans devastated but would explain Lucas’ absence from Peyton and his daughter Sawyer’s lives, and would also make sense given that the sequel takes place 20 years after the original series.
Will Haley James Scott return?
Another name that is noticeably absent in the discussions surrounding One tree hill The sequel to the series is Haley James Scott, played by Bethany Joy Lenz. Haley was initially introduced to the series as Lucas' best friend. However, she later went on to form a strong friendship with Peyton and Brooke, making them a trio who shared the ups and downs of many events. One tree hill Haley's character was also the glue between everyone, as her relationship with Nathan eventually helped the estranged brothers form a real connection.
Given Haley's influential role in the series, The fact that Lenz has not been confirmed to star in the series alongside Bush and Burton is concerning.Furthermore, Haley and Nathan have children the same age as Brooke and Peyton. Given this, it made sense for the trio to return for the sequel together. Bringing the three friends back to screens would have allowed the sequel to show how the trio's friendship has stood the test of time and how they've dealt with different stages of life together.
Given that the sequel is still in its early stages of development, and not much has been confirmed regarding cast members, there is plenty of time for Lenz to join the sequel. In fact, Bush, Burton, and Lenz are hosting One Tree Hill-A podcast based on a common foundation, entitled Drama queens It is suggested that the three women have a strong friendship off-screen as well. However, Burton stepped down from the podcast in July 2024, with Robert Buckley joining in her place. The reason given was that the podcast had reached the end of Burton's behind-the-scenes experience on the show. However, Glamour reported that the rift between Burton and Lenz may have led to Burton's exit.
No doubt more cast additions will be confirmed as the sequel progresses in its development journey. With only Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton explicitly confirmed to be returning and Chad Michael Murray not returning, any further speculation is based on what fans hope to see in the sequel. While the return of familiar faces will certainly contribute to the success of the sequel, it will also be interesting to see how a new series steers a new direction. One tree hill A short story without some of the show's most popular characters. A release date for the second part has not yet been announced.
