Yes, the Glee reboot is officially happening. Disney+ and Hulu have given a series order to a new version of Ryan Murphy’s musical dramedy, per Deadline and Variety. No cast, premiere date or episode count has been announced.
Quick answer: The announcement came Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, through the show’s official Instagram account, per USA Today. The series comes from 20th Television, the studio behind the original, and will stream on both Disney+ and Hulu. Murphy said last month he had finished a reboot script with original writers Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan.
- Confirmed (Disney, via Deadline, Variety, BBC): series order at Disney+ and Hulu; produced by 20th Television.
- Reported (Murphy to Entertainment Tonight, as quoted by USA Today and Variety): a script is written and Murphy has been in touch with “around 10” original cast members.
- Not confirmed: who returns, whether it is a sequel or a recast, the premiere date, the number of episodes.
Updated: October 21, 2026, 11:55 a.m. ET. What changed: first published after the series order. Facts verified against Deadline, Variety, USA Today and the BBC at that time.
Who is in the new Glee cast?
Nobody has been named. Variety says details are scant and that Disney shared only the studio and the platforms. It adds that it “can safely be assumed” several original stars will return, which is Variety’s inference, not an announcement. Deadline notes that no casting was part of the series order.
The public statements so far are mixed. Lea Michele told E! News in September she would be happy to return, and Jane Lynch told People in 2024 she would “absolutely” revisit Sue Sylvester, per USA Today. Kevin McHale said in 2022 he was unsure he should play Artie, a character who uses a wheelchair, and Chris Colfer told Bustle this month he would consider it but that it “would be really hard to do it now that Naya [Rivera] is gone,” per the BBC.
When will the Glee reboot premiere?
There is no date. A series order is an early step, and none of the four outlets we checked give a production start or a release window. Anyone quoting a premiere month right now is guessing.
Is this a sequel, a reboot or a recast?
That is the biggest open question, and the coverage does not answer it. Murphy has described the project as something he, Falchuk and Brennan “have written,” which USA Today quotes. Disney calls it a reboot. Whether that means new students at McKinley High, an older New Directions, or both is not stated. Our read, labeled as analysis: the fast move from script to series order suggests Disney is betting on the brand name first and the cast second.
Why is Glee trending right now?
Because the show never really left. Variety cites about 4.1 million monthly Spotify listeners, and Deadline says the show streams on Hulu today. Murphy said in July, as quoted by Deadline, that “so many young people now watch it,” which is part of the case he made for a revival.
What is the original Glee, in short?
Glee ran on Fox for six seasons, from 2009 to 2015, following the New Directions glee club at William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio. It won six Emmys, per Deadline, and was known for covers such as “Don’t Stop Believin’.” The BBC adds that the cast once passed The Beatles for the most Billboard Hot 100 entries by a non-solo act. Three cast members have died, including Cory Monteith in 2013 and Naya Rivera in 2020, which the BBC and Deadline both note when discussing a reboot.
What do other outlets miss?
Most headlines stop at “Glee is back.” Three things are easy to skip. First, the order is for Disney+ and Hulu together, so US viewers will likely see it in one place, though Disney has not said how it will be released. Second, Variety and USA Today treat the cast as open, while headlines imply a reunion. Third, nobody has said whether the show keeps the original’s musical format. Those are the points to watch for in the next announcement.
Timeline
- 2009-2015: Glee airs six seasons on Fox.
- July 2026: Murphy says he is thinking about revisiting the show (Deadline).
- September 2026: Murphy tells Entertainment Tonight he has finished a script and spoken to about 10 original cast members. Michele tells E! News she is open to returning.
- October 2026: Colfer tells Bustle he would consider it.
- Oct. 21, 2026: Disney+ and Hulu announce the series order.
What should readers do now?
If you want to revisit the original first, it streams on Hulu, per Deadline. For other Disney+ and Hulu news, see our guide to the VisionQuest release schedule. For more on Murphy’s other projects, see Jessica Lange on American Horror Story Season 13. We will update this page when casting or a date is announced.
Image: Illustration of an empty high school choir room, created for this article. It does not show any real person or the show’s set.
