Glee is officially back: Disney greenlights revival after 11 years off air

«Currently gleeking out!» Disney+ and Hulu greenlight a Glee reboot 11 years after the finale and the first original cast member may already be circling.

«Currently gleeking out!», show’s own account confirms return as streaming giants hand Ryan Murphy a full series order

Stop the presses and warm up the show choir: Glee is officially returning.

Disney+ and Hulu have handed Ryan Murphy’s reboot a full series order, Disney confirmed on Wednesday, 17 years after the original premiered and 11 years after the final episode aired.

The news broke via the show’s own social accounts, with a post on X reading «Currently gleeking out!» alongside an image of the programme’s signature «L» hand gesture. The post racked up 5.6 million views within hours. Over on Instagram, the account was blunter: «It’s official. Glee is returning».

What’s confirmed

Variety reports Disney shared nothing beyond the order itself, no casting, no transmission date, no episode count.

The cast question

Murphy has said he’s «been in touch with around 10 of the original cast members».

«It’s very sweet, and they all had a lot of questions, but they all were very enthusiastic about the idea», he told Entertainment Tonight.

Early signs suggest some are keen. Chord Overstreet and Kevin McHale both hinted at involvement after the announcement, McHale replying «Challenge accepted» to a post noting that Drake had overtaken the Glee cast’s record for Billboard Hot 100 entries.

Not everyone’s in the loop, mind. Chris Colfer, who played Kurt Hummel, told reporters in a separate interview: «I know nothing and have heard absolutely nothing». 

The absent faces

Any revival must reckon with who can’t come back. Cory Monteith died in 2013, Mark Salling in 2018, and Naya Rivera in 2020. Fans on social media wasted no time making their feelings known, one of the top replies to the announcement read simply: «do NOT kill off Santana !!! Just let her live happily ever after». 

Why Disney wants it

The numbers make the case. Deadline notes the original still streams on Hulu and that Disney cites roughly 4 million monthly Spotify listeners for the show’s music, a striking figure for a series that ended over a decade ago.

The original ran six seasons on Fox from 2009 to 2015, picking up six Primetime Emmys and several Golden Globes, plus GLAAD Media Awards for outstanding comedy series in 2010 and 2011. All 121 episodes remain available on Hulu.

Its chart record was absurd: at one point the cast had more Billboard Hot 100 entries than any other act, with over 200 — a tally only Drake, Taylor Swift and Future have since beaten.

The long road here

Murphy first floated the idea publicly in July, telling The Hollywood Reporter that the show had «come back around» with younger viewers discovering it. «Maybe we should revisit that show», he said. Less than two months later he revealed the script was done. Now, barely weeks after that, it’s a commissioned series.

Sources: Variety, Deadline, Billboard, Elle, ABC News/GMA, The Hollywood Reporter