One Tree Hill Sequel Cast: Every Confirmed Cast Member And Who Is Not Returning

2 September 2024, 19:59 | Updated: 4 September 2024, 14:58

Who will be in the One Tree Hill sequel series cast? Her's every confirmed cast member. Picture: Warner Bros., Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty Images

By Katie Louise Smith

Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton are confirmed to be returning as Brooke and Peyton – but Chad Michael Murray will reportedly not be back as Lucas Scott.

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Fire up that iconic Gavin Degraw theme tune and dust off your Ravens basketball jerseys... we're officially going back to Tree Hill!

Yes, it's been confirmed that a One Tree Hill sequel series is currently in development at Netflix, with original cast members Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton leading the charge on the project.

According to Deadline, the sequel series is set to take place "20 years later following best friends Brooke and Peyton who are now parents to teens and facing challenges not unfamiliar to what they tackled in the original series like love, insecurities and grief".

Details are thin on the ground, but in the wake of the announcement, conversation about who will and will not be returning has swept through the fandom on social media. Concerns are now mounting that the revival series may not include certain main characters from the original show – and one OG star is reportedly not returning.

Who will be in the One Tree Hill sequel series?

Original One Tree Hill cast members Hilarie Burton and Sophia Bush will return for sequel series. Picture: Getty

One Tree Hill sequel cast: Which characters will be back?

Two main cast members have been confirmed so far: Sophia Bush (who played the iconic Brooke Davis), and Hilarie Burton (who played the beloved Peyton Sawyer). B. Davis and P. Sawyer back in action after all these years? Say no more!

In an Instagram post about the reboot shared by Hilarie, Danneel Ackles (Rachel Scott) and Bevin Prince (Bevin Mirskey) were also pictured alongside her and Sophia so it's likely that they'll return too. (Danneel and Jensen Ackles will also executive produce.)

No other names have been confirmed, but plenty have publicly shared their interest in returning. Responding to Hilarie's post, Robert Buckley (Clay), Jana Kramer (Alex) and Barbara Woods (Deb Scott) all said that they're ready to return to Tree Hill.

Here's the list of confirmed One Tree Hill sequel cast members so far:

Sophia Bush (Brooke)
Hilarie Burton (Peyton)

We'll update this list as more information is confirmed.

Hilarie Burton and Sophia Bush will return as Peyton and Brooke in One Tree Hill sequel. Picture: Alamy

Will Chad Michael Murray be in the One Tree Hill sequel series?

Unfortunately for loyal fans of Lucas Scott, it looks like he will not be appearing in the new series. Per Deadline's report, Chad Michael Murray reportedly has "no plans" to join the cast for the revival. It's still early in the development stage, so it's unclear if he will change his mind.

Chad Michael Murray left One Tree Hill ahead of season 7, reportedly due to contract negotiations. In the season 6 finale, he was written out alongside Hilarie Burton's Peyton and their newborn daughter Sawyer.

While Lucas will likely not feature in the revival, Peyton and their daughter Sawyer will. Fans have already expressed their fear and disappointment that the show could potentially ruining Lucas and Peyton's 'endgame', but no plot details have been revealed yet.

Will Chad Michael Murray be in the One Tree Hill sequel series? Picture: Alamy

Will Nathan and Haley be in the One Tree Hill sequel series?

You can't have a One Tree Hill revival without Tree Hill's mainstay couple Nathan and Haley, can you!? James Lafferty and Bethany Joy Lenz are OGs but their names are not currently confirmed to be part of the revival series. As mentioned above, the full cast list has not yet been locked in and only 'informal talks' have taken place with various cast members.

There's still plenty of time for the duo to agree on a deal so they can reprise their beloved roles. Fingers crossed they do!

However, listeners of the One Tree Hill behind-the-scenes podcast 'Drama Queens' fear that alleged 'drama' between Hilarie Burton and Bethany Joy Lenz may affect whether or not Haley is part of the new series. That's all purely fan speculation, though. Neither star has ever addressed the theories.

Despite co-hosting the podcast with Hilarie and Sophia since 2021, Bethany Joy Lenz did not appear in either of their social media posts about the sequel series. In the comments of Hilarie's post, one fan wrote: "This doesn’t work without Haley???" Another added: "naley or no show unfortunately."

Will James Lafferty and Bethany Joy Lenz return as Nathan and Haley in the One Tree Hill sequel series? Picture: Alamy

The One Tree Hill sequel series is set to represent the women of OTH reclaiming the show following the 2017 Variety report in which the original showrunner Mark Schwahn was accused of sexual harassment by 18 women.

Various cast members have spoken about the alleged abuse on the Drama Queens podcast, and have expressly stated that they would only consider returning for a revival if Schwahn was not involved. He will not be part of this Netflix series.

In an Instagram post shared by Sophia and Hilarie, they explained that it was time to "own our history" and "reclaim our turf".

"What if you really can go back home?," the caption reads. "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. 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'."