Chad Michael Murray Shares His Hopes For A One Tree Hill Reboot

Chad Michael Murray is getting back to his roots in Freakier Friday — but he’s not sure if he’ll be entering the town limits of Tree Hill, North Carolina, once again. On July 20, the actor opened up about the potential One Tree Hill reboot that’s currently in development, sharing his hopes for the new series if it actually gets the green light.

Speaking to Bustle at the Freakier Friday press junket, Murray opened up about reprising his role as Jake in the sequel to his 2003 film Freaky Friday, calling it a “full-circle moment” to reunite with star Lindsay Lohan.

While he didn’t have any updates on the OTH reboot, or whether he’d be able to return as Lucas Scott, he did share his hopes for what a new OTH series would look like, saying he wants to see “a new generation” take the mantle. “I hope it’s about a young group of kids, so that this generation of youth can see themselves in the characters,” he explains.

“There are so many current trials and tribulations that the youth is going through right now, from social media to identities,” he says. “Everything from the LGBTQ community and just loving each other, we need guidance. I think people can identify with the turmoil that goes on from that show and the way that those stories were told.”

Is The OTH Reboot Happening?

In August 2024, it was reported that a One Tree Hill reboot was in development at Netflix, with original stars Sophia Bush, Hilarie Burton, and Danneel Ackles serving as executive producers. As Bush told Access Hollywood that December, the reports were premature, but she said fans would be “very pleased” if it ends up happening.

“It’s unfortunate when development news leaks early,” she said. “That’s a bit of a bummer for us as we wanted to get it across the finish line and then have a party. But I will say the process is really incredible. The fans have kept that show alive and they’ve asked for it for so long, and then the studio came to us about it.”

Earlier that year, Bush stated that she would be interested in a feminist reboot of OTH, and in an interview with People, Burton said that’s exactly what they’re working on.

“What I can say is that this go-around, being able to work with a team of women and look at these stories [and] these characters through a female lens is something... that is so vital to me,” she said. “It is the core of anything I've done that's successful. So I'm excited to be able to team up with people that I look up to, people that I love dearly.”