Don’t stop believing, because it is actually happening. Glee is coming back. Disney+ and Hulu have given a series order to a reboot of Ryan Murphy’s musical comedy-drama, more than a decade after the original ended its six-season run on Fox. The news was confirmed on Wednesday 21 October 2026, and within a day the first reports of returning cast members had already started to appear.
There is a lot of excitement online, and a fair amount of rumour mixed in with it. So here is what Disney has actually confirmed, what is still only reported, and what we simply do not know yet.
What Disney+ and Hulu confirmed
The official details are short. According to Variety and Deadline, the new Glee is a reboot that has received a full series order, it is produced by 20th Television, the studio behind the original, and it will stream on both Hulu and Disney+. That is genuinely about it. Disney did not announce a cast, a release date, a premise or an episode count.
The BBC reported that the news was first shared through the show’s own social media accounts. That low-key reveal fits a project that has been building quietly in public for months, mainly through Murphy’s own interviews.
How the reboot came together
Murphy has been talking about a return for a while, often while promoting his FX series The Shards. Glee holds a special place in his career, since he won an Emmy in 2010 for directing its pilot episode. Back in July, Deadline quoted him saying the show had “come back around” and that so many young people now watch it. “Maybe we should revisit that show,” he said.
Less than two months later, he told Entertainment Tonight that he had just finished writing a reboot script with his original co-creators, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan. He also said he had been in touch with “around 10 of the original cast members”, and that they were all enthusiastic about the idea. So the series order is less a bolt from the blue than the official green light for something already well under way.
Who is returning? What is reported so far
This is the part everyone wants to know, and it is also where caution matters most. No casting has been officially announced. That said, Deadline has reported several names.
On 21 October, Deadline reported that Lea Michele is in talks to reprise her role as Rachel Berry, the ambitious, Broadway-bound star of the original. A day later, it reported that Heather Morris, who played Brittany, and Chord Overstreet, who played Sam Evans, are also in talks to return.
Deadline also reported that Matthew Morrison, who played glee club teacher Will Schuester, is not in talks as of now, though he is said to be hopeful of being involved. “In talks” is not the same as “signed”, so it is worth waiting for Disney to confirm before treating any of these as definite.
What the original stars have said
Michele has made her feelings very clear. She told E! News she would happily join a reboot, adding, “I will follow Ryan wherever he goes.”
Chris Colfer, who played Kurt, has been more cautious. Speaking to Bustle, he said a return would be hard without Naya Rivera, though he admitted fans would “probably come after me with pitchforks and jazz hands” if he said no. He said he hoped to learn more before deciding.
Remembering the cast members who are gone
Any Glee revival carries real weight, because the show has lost cast members far too young. Cory Monteith, who played Finn Hudson, died in 2013 while the show was still on the air. Naya Rivera, who played Santana Lopez, died in 2020 at the age of 33 after drowning in a lake while saving her young son. How the reboot honours them will matter a great deal to longtime fans, and it is something the writers will need to handle with care.
Why Glee still matters
It is easy to forget how big Glee was. The series premiered on Fox in 2009 and followed the members of New Directions, the glee club at William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio. Each episode was built around musical performances, and its covers of songs such as “Don’t Stop Believin'” became hits in their own right.
The show won six Emmys, including awards for Murphy and for Jane Lynch, who played cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester. It also tackled sexuality, race, disability and mental health in a way few network shows did at the time, sometimes clumsily, but often bravely.
The interesting thing is that its audience never really left. Variety says the show’s music still averages 4.1 million monthly listeners on Spotify. The original also streams on Hulu, where a new generation has found it. That is the business case in a sentence: Disney already knows people are watching.
Our view is that a reboot makes sense, but only if it finds a reason to exist beyond nostalgia. The best version probably introduces a new group of students with a few familiar faces guiding them, rather than trying to recreate 2009. Revivals that lean only on memories tend to fade fast. If you are interested in how streamers are reshaping the industry, our piece on Ryan Coogler’s Netflix deal looks at the wider trend.
When and where can you watch the new Glee?
There is no release date yet, and given that casting has not even been confirmed, a premiere is unlikely to be imminent. In the US, the show will be on Hulu and Disney+. Hulu is not available in the UK or most of Europe, so viewers there will most likely look to Disney+, but Disney has not yet said how the international rollout will work.
For the full announcement and background, Variety’s report on the Glee reboot is a good place to start.
FAQ
Is Glee really coming back?
Yes. Disney+ and Hulu gave a reboot of Glee a series order, which was confirmed on 21 October 2026 and reported by Variety and Deadline.
Is Lea Michele in the Glee reboot?
Deadline reports that Lea Michele is in talks to return as Rachel Berry, but her casting has not been officially confirmed.
When will the Glee reboot be released?
No release date has been announced. Disney has not shared casting, a premise or a production timeline.
Who is making the new Glee?
Ryan Murphy wrote the reboot script with original co-creators Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan, and 20th Television is producing it.
Can I watch the Glee reboot in the UK?
Disney has not confirmed international plans yet, but UK viewers will most likely find it on Disney+ once it launches.
