Why are One Tree Hill fans concerned about the sequel’s cast? Explained

One Tree Hill is getting a sequel (Image via Apple TV+)

Fans of One Tree Hill have much to be happy about, asa the legendary series will soon get a sequel on Netflix, as per a report published by Deadline on August 30, 2024. However, there are certain concerns as well.

As per multiple reports, several key cast members from the original series are not returning for the sequel. While the cast for the sequel is not finalized yet, this is a sad piece of news for the show's fans.

Created by Mark Schwahn, One Tree Hill had a nine-season long run, starting from September 23, 2003 to April 4, 2012. While the show started airing originally on The WB, it later shifted to The CW. The synopsis of the series on IMDb reads:

“Half-brothers Lucas and Nathan Scott trade between kinship and rivalry both on the basketball court and in the hearts of their friends in the small, but not so quiet town of Tree Hill, North Carolina.”

The sequel won’t have key cast members from the original series

Deadline recently reported that Chad Michael Murray, who played the pivotal role of Lucas Scott in the original series, won't return for the sequel on Netflix. Much of the plot of One Tree Hill hinged on Lucas and his romantic vacillation between Peyton (Hilarie Burton) and Brooke (Sophia Bush).

Murray’s character Lucas exited the series after season 6, making a brief appearance in season 9. While his return for the sequel has been categorically ruled out, there are doubts over the return of another cast member from the original series.

Glamour reported on August 31, 2024, that Bethany Joy Lenz, who played Haley James Scott in the original, might not be seen in the Netflix sequel either. Lenz is the third co-host of the rewatch podcast Drama Queens, started originally by Burton and Bush. There has allegedly been a fallout between Burton and Lenz on the podcast.

As per Deadline, “informal conversations” with other members of the original cast are on. Burton and Bush are definitely reprising their roles. Fans will have to wait a bit longer to find out who else is.

One Tree Hill sequel will continue the plot of the original series

Set in a fictional North Carolina town, One Tree Hill is about two half-brothers, Lucas and Nathan. The brothers are estranged, and their lives take an important turn when they discover that their high school friend circles intersect.

Love, romance, friendship, heartbreak, betrayal, familial tensions, among other things, are prominent themes in the drama series. A significant portion of One Tree Hill is focused on the evolving relationship between Peyton and Brooke, who start off as best friends but undergo a cold phase when they both fall in love with Lucas.

As per Deadline, the sequel will take place 20 years after the events portrayed in the original series. Brooke and Peyton are both parents to teens now. As they go through life, past memories rise up, and they deal with love, grief and insecurities all over again.

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One Tree Hill: Cast and crew

The creator and showrunner of One Tree Hill was Mark Schwahn. The producers included Maureen Milligan, David Blake Hartley, Kelly R. Tenney, Les Bulter and David Strauss. The executive producers of the show were Schwahn, Michael Tollin, Brian Robbins and Joe Davola, among others.

Schwahn will not be involved with the One Tree Hill sequel in any capacity, given the 2017 charges of sexual abuse against him brought up by the show’s cast members.

The cast of the series included: