Ryan Murphy Says a ‘Glee’ Reboot Script Is Finished as Original Cast Talks Begin

A Glee reboot script now exists, according to series co-creator Ryan Murphy, who says he has also contacted roughly 10 members of the original cast about a possible return. Murphy revealed the development while speaking to Entertainment Tonight on September 23, moving the idea of revisiting the Fox musical comedy beyond the more general interest he expressed earlier this summer.

Murphy said he wrote the new material with fellow Glee co-creators Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan, but he also made clear that the project remains at an early stage. No network or streaming service has announced a series order, the cast has not read the script and Murphy said he wants to write additional material before seeing how the idea is received.

Glee reboot script reunites the show’s original creators

Variety reported Murphy’s September 23 comments, in which he said he had finished the script only about an hour before discussing the project. He identified Falchuk and Brennan as his collaborators, reuniting the three creators who established the original series.

The development is more concrete than Murphy’s earlier suggestion that Glee might be worth revisiting. In July, he spoke publicly about the show’s renewed popularity with younger viewers and floated the possibility of a new incarnation without saying that scripts had actually been written.

That distinction matters. A completed script does not mean a reboot has been greenlit, but it establishes that Murphy, Falchuk and Brennan have moved from discussing the idea to developing material for it.

Murphy also said he has been in contact with around 10 members of the original cast. According to his account, they had questions about the idea but were enthusiastic about the possibility of returning. He did not identify all of those performers or confirm that any of them have signed agreements.

The original Glee cast has not read the script yet

Murphy was careful about how far the project has progressed. TheWrap’s account of the interview notes that Murphy said nobody has read the script yet and that he wants to write a couple of episodes before determining what the cast thinks of the proposed direction.

That means reports describing the original cast as formally “on board” go further than the evidence currently supports. Enthusiasm expressed during conversations is not the same as casting confirmation, and there is no announced production schedule, network home, episode order or premiere date.

Lea Michele has separately expressed interest in returning. Earlier this month, the actor, who played Rachel Berry throughout the original series, said she would be happy to revisit Glee and spoke warmly about both the show and Murphy. Her comments establish interest, but they should not be treated as a casting announcement for the still-unconfirmed project.

Glee ended more than a decade ago

Glee premiered on Fox in 2009 and followed the New Directions show choir at the fictional William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio. The series ran for six seasons before ending in March 2015.

Its ensemble included Michele, Matthew Morrison, Jane Lynch, Chris Colfer, Amber Riley, Dianna Agron, Kevin McHale, Jenna Ushkowitz, Darren Criss, Heather Morris and Harry Shum Jr., among others. Cory Monteith and Naya Rivera, two prominent members of the original ensemble, died in 2013 and 2020 respectively.

The show’s music-heavy format became a defining part of its identity, with episodes combining ongoing character stories with performances of pop songs, Broadway standards and other recordings. Its success also expanded into soundtrack releases, concert performances and Glee: The Concert Movie.

Rolling Stone independently confirmed Murphy’s script update and his conversations with original cast members, while emphasizing that the potential return remains in development rather than representing a confirmed television order.

Murphy revealed the update as another franchise returns

The timing is notable within Murphy’s current television slate. He discussed Glee while attending the premiere event for American Horror Story: 13, another series he created with Falchuk. The anthology’s new season premieres September 24 with an unusually large group of returning franchise actors and characters.

The comparison stops there. American Horror Story is an active FX franchise with a confirmed season and release schedule. A Glee return remains a potential project being developed by its creators.

Reuters Connect also documented Murphy’s comments on September 24, including his description of the cast’s response and his intention to develop more material before deciding what happens next.

What happens next for a possible Glee return

The biggest unanswered question is whether Murphy’s scripts will ultimately become a television production. No distributor has announced a deal, and Murphy has not publicly identified a timetable for pitching, casting or filming the project.

For now, the significance of the update is narrower but still meaningful. When Murphy discussed revisiting Glee in July, the concept was an idea. By September 23, he, Falchuk and Brennan had written material and Murphy had begun conversations with original cast members.

That makes the Glee reboot script the clearest evidence yet that a return is being actively explored, while leaving the most important production questions unresolved until Murphy and the original cast decide whether the material should move forward.