Netflix hasn't actually greenlit that One Tree Hill revival yet

One might be forgiven for thinking that the One Tree Hill revival was officially moving forward. The stars/executive producers (Hilarie Burton, Sophia Bush, and Daneel Ackles) seemed to confirm as much when they shared the news to Instagram, writing, “What if you really can go back home? 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.”

Well, turns out that statement was heavy on the what if. “When it was kind of leaked, it was very, very, very early in the game,” Burton now tells People. “So we’re in the process of presenting things to Netflix, and they will get to decide whether or not it’s greenlit. But I think the more people show that they’re excited about it, the better.”

Burton adds that she hopes Netflix “goes for it,” but it sounds like the show is still very much in the development stage. When the potential revival was first announced—in Deadline, which apparently got the news from a notice in Production Weekly—it was “said to take place 20 years later following best friends Brooke (Bush) and Peyton (Burton) who are now parents to teens and facing challenges not unfamiliar to what they tackled in the original series like love, insecurities and grief.” In addition to Bush and Burton, other cast members were said to be in “informal conversations” about returning to the show.

Despite the lack of a greenlight, it seems like there’s a pretty good chance you’ll see more One Tree Hill in the future. The OTH alums producing the show have teamed with Becky Hartman Edwards as showrunner (replacing the original series’ disgraced creator/EP, Mark Schwahn), whose robust resume includes working as a consulting or executive producer on the Netflix series Firefly Lane, Virgin River, and My Life With The Walter Boys. Edwards “is so good at female friendships and multi-generational shows, and that’s why we were so excited to team up with her,” Burton says. “So I feel very confident in what’s being presented.”

Last month, Burton’s co-EP Bush told Access (via Deadline), “It’s unfortunate when development news leaks early. That was a bit of a bummer for us, because we wanted to get it across the finish line and then have a party.” However, she added that the fans have been asking for it and the studio came to them about doing the sequel series. “And so, beginning to figure out how we might tell these stories and reunite our whole ragtag bunch feels really, really amazing. If it happens, I think you’ll be very pleased.”