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“One Tree Hill” alums Hilarie Burton, Bethany Joy Lenz, Sophia Bush
News that a sequel series is in the works for the coming-of-age show “One Tree Hill” has fans buzzing about which former cast members — many of whom went on to become Hallmark Channel stars, including Bethany Joy Lenz and Chad Michael Murray — will be part of the reboot two decades after the series debuted.
On August 30, 2024, Deadline first reported that a long-rumored reboot is now officially in the works, with original OTH cast members Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton, who’s starred in multiple Hallmark Channel movies, set to star in and executive produce the project for Netflix. Danneel Ackles, who played Rachel from 2005 to 2009, and her actor husband Jensen Ackles, are also executive producers, Deadline reported.
As news of the reboot spread like wildfire, with Variety also confirming the news, Burton and Bush posted the same Instagram photo of themselves, standing with Danneel Ackles and OTH alum Bevin Prince.
Bush and Burton wrote the same message to fans, asking, “What if you really can go back home? If there’s an opportunity to team with brilliant creatives and build a space where all our friends can show off their talents? Own our history? Reclaim our turf? Honor our fans? Sign us up.”
“There’s only one Tree Hill, after all,” their message continued. “And you — the #OTHfam — have shown us that it’s not just an idea. It really is the place where ‘everything’s better and everything’s safe.’”
Sophia Bush & Hilarie Burton Are First Stars to Commit to ‘One Tree Hill’ Reboot
“One Tree Hill” was set in the fictional North Carolina town of Tree Hill and, at first, centered around two teenaged half-brothers who had a strained relationship — Lucas (played by Murray) and Nathan (played by James Lafferty). As their social circles intertwined, the show began to tell the stories of the teens’ friendships, romances and family troubles, with Bush, Burton and Lenz becoming central figures on the show.
Bush and Burton played best friends Brooke and Peyton, while Lenz played Nathan’s girlfriend-turned-wife Haley, who navigated teen pregnancy on the series. Burton, Bush and Lenz have remained close friends since OTH and launched a re-watch podcast called “Drama Queens” in 2021, per Variety.
Burton stepped away from the popular podcast in July to focus her energy on other projects, and was replaced by Robert Buckley, who appeared on OTH from 2009 to 2012 and has appeared frequently on Hallmark Channel since 2020’s “Love in Store,” per IMDb.
So far, Burton and Bush are the only confirmed stars of the unnamed series, but Deadline reported that “informal conversations with other members of the ensemble cast” have taken place. According to the outlet, the idea for the reboot is that it would pick up 20 years later with Brooke and Peyton now parents to teens and still “facing challenges not unfamiliar to what they tackled in the original series like love, insecurities and grief.”
Giving many hope that many more cast members will return for the reboot, one fan commented on Burton’s post, “AAAAAAAAAAH❤️ We want the whole cast back!” and Burton replied, “same girl. Same.”
Hallmark’s Robert Buckley Among ‘One Tree Hill’ Alumni Interested in Reboot
GettyActors Lee Norris, Robert Buckley, Jackson Brundage, Sophia Bush, Tyler Hilton, Bethany Joy Galeotti, Stephen Colletti, Shantel VanSanten and Paul Johansson pose at The CW’s presentation of “An Evening with One Tree Hill” in January 2011.
Though the show is still in development stages, Deadline reported that Murray, who played Lucas on six of the show’s nine seasons and returned as a guest star in its final season, has already indicated he won’t be participating in the new series. The actor, who was a Hallmark regular until 2021, now stars on The CW’s “Sullivan’s Crossing.”
Though Deadline reported that producer Danneel Ackles will likely reprise her character, she told Entertainment Weekly that it was “all too premature to discuss.”
Lenz, who has become one of Hallmark’s top actresses in movies like 2023’s “A Biltmore Christmas” and 2024’s “Savoring Paris,” has not weighed in publicly on the reboot or whether she’ll be involved. But she told TV Insider in June that she’d love to reunite with Lafferty for a Hallmark movie. In October, Lenz will release her tell-all book “Dinner For Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show,” about her experiences being in an actual cult while filming OTH.
Buckley, meanwhile, indicated his excitement about potentially being part of the reboot on Instagram. In the comment section of Bush’s post, he quipped, “I just screamed in an Arby’s. LFG!!!! 👏🙌🔥” and drew nearly 3,000 likes from fans for his comment.
On Burton’s post, he drew more than 5,000 likes for commenting, “OTH couldn’t be in better hands. SIGN👏ME👏UP👏 🔥🙌”
Bryan Greenberg, who appeared as Jake during the first three seasons of OTH and made his Hallmark debut in 2023, got nearly 5,500 fan likes when he commented on Burton’s post. Signaling his and many fans’ hope for a hookup between the characters of Jake and Peyton, he wrote, “👏👏 Jeyton? 😂”
“Love At First Bark” star Jana Kramer, who played Alex Dupré on OTH from 2009 to 2012, commented on Burton’s post, “Wahoooo. Ready when yall want me 😉”
OTH alum Tyler Hilton, who’s married to Hallmark star Megan Park, also weighed in on Burton’s post, writing, “IM NOT CRYING UR CRYING 😭😭😭 Proud of you guys!”
Liv Lane is an entertainment writer who covers the Hallmark Channel, HGTV, American Idol and The Voice for Heavy. Based in Minneapolis, she has three decades of experience as a local and national radio host, columnist and publicist, interviewing and working with a wide range of celebrities over the years, from Deepak Chopra to Lil Nas X. More about Liv Lane
