Hilarie Burton Says One Tree Hill Reboot Will Be Made Through A “Female Lens”

The One Tree Hill reboot is getting closer to reality. In a new interview with People, star Hilarie Burton Morgan opened up about the planned sequel series she’s developing with co-star Sophia Bush, emphasizing that the reboot would be made through a “female lens.” The duo played BFFs Peyton and Brooke on the original 2003 show, which ran for nine seasons.

“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 — whether I was doing a reboot or a brand-new show or a different movie at this phase in my life, female teamwork is something that is so vital to me,” Burton said.

“It is the core of anything I've done that's successful,” she added. “So I'm excited to be able to team up with people that I look up to, people that I love dearly.”

In January, Bush told E! that she would be interested in an OTH reboot, but only if it was female-centered. “I think for a long time our answer on that was a firm no, we were really ready to put it to bed,” she said. “Then with the girls and I deciding that that was our show and we deserve to reclaim it, now we’re like, ‘Well, what might a feminist reclamation of our show look like?’”

A few months later, Entertainment Weekly reported that a One Tree Hill sequel series was in development, with Bush, Burton, and Danneel Ackles set to executive produce and reprise their original roles. According to Variety, the new show reportedly found a home on Netflix, with Warner Bros., who helmed the original show, also set to produce.

However, Burton told People that the “leaked” reports surprised her and Bush, as the show is not yet official. But she was still touched by fans’ excitement. "The nicest thing is seeing the positive fan reaction to it and all of our friends from the show commenting on posts and just getting to show enthusiasm, because obviously we want Netflix to greenlight it,” she said.

Regarding the OTH reboot’s plot, Burton remained tight-lipped but said that the “stories” she currently wants to tell “are very different than they were when I was 20.” Bush, however, has more specific ideas. “I always joke that Brooke Davis running for class president really changed the trajectory of her whole life,” she told E! “I’d like to see her in elected office.”