Austin Butler says no one asked him about doing a cameo in Zoey 101 reboot

20 February 2023, 14:53

Zoey 101 star Alexa Nikolas says she didn't feel protected by Nickelodeon as she protests headquarters

By Katie Louise Smith

"I haven't heard anything about that, I don't know."

Sorry to the Day One Austin Butler fans, but you won't be seeing him return to his Nickelodeon roots any time soon. The actor has now spoken about not returning for the Zoey 101 sequel movie.

In January, it was confirmed that Zoey 102 was officially happening with Jamie Lynn Spears, Erin Sanders, Sean Flynn, Matthew Underwood, Christopher Massey, Abby Wilde and Jack Salvatore all reprising their roles from the '00s series.

Fans immediately noticed a handful of original cast members missing from the list, including Austin. Austin was part of the main cast in season 4, where he played James Garrett, Zoey's love interest and roommate of Logan and Michael.

To be fair, it was pretty much a given that Austin wasn't going to return for the sequel movie, seeing as he's currently busy with awards season and is weeks away from possibly winning an Oscar. But he's now revealed that he didn't even know a Zoey 101 reboot was happening.

"I haven't heard anything about that, I don't know," Austin said on the Variety Awards Circuit podcast, regarding whether or not he would do a 'cameo' in the sequel movie.

"I'm so grateful for all those stepping stones that I had throughout my career," he then added. "Zoey 101 was a big turning point for me cause it was the first time I was ever a series regular on a show so I got to be a part of an entire season. I remember getting my first line on a TV show and that was huge for me."

But for those fans that would love to see him back at PCA, it's just not going to happen. As much as Austin is grateful for his Disney Channel and Nickelodeon days, the actor has moved on and is ready to take on big new roles.

"You have all these different moments that are pivotal..." he continued. "But now I'm just going after whatever story resonates with me or whatever director or actors I really wanna work with."

Austin isn't the only former main cast member who will not be part of the Zoey 102 reboot. Paul Butcher, Victoria Justice and Alexa Nikolas will not be part of the sequel movie either.

Paul, who played Zoey's younger brother Dustin, has previously shared multiple TikTok videos about no longer wanting to return, and also shaded Jamie Lynn Spears.

Alexa Nikolas, who played Nicole, is also not returning. She recently staged a public protest outside the Nickelodeon offices, holding a sign saying, "Nickelodeon didn't protect me."

Victoria Justice will also not be reprising her role as Lola due to scheduling conflicts. "The timing of everything didn’t work out, but I’ve been in touch with Jamie and the entire cast, and they could not be more understanding and more supportive," she told Variety. "Ultimately, I would love to be there with them. I loved doing that show. It was such a pivotal point in my life, and I had so much fun making it."

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