The 'Friday Night Lights' Reboot Will Bring a Classic Back to Life Through Streaming
Peacock will produce the next iteration of the beloved sports drama, after the first show came to an end in 2011.
Published Aug. 5 2025, 1:38 p.m. ET
Ever since Friday Night Lights came to a close in 2011, fans have been waiting to return to the thrilling world of fictional high school football. Thankfully, a streaming reboot has been in development for quite some time. Studios know the value of a recognizable brand, and a new Friday Night Lights is the nostalgia-induced production that could convince new audiences to give it a shot.
After a tough bidding war, Peacock ended up with the rights to develop the new version of this story. Netflix wanted to get their hands on the pitch as well, but the platform behind Long Bright River will be the one responsible for the new show. What will be featured in the Friday Night Lights reboot? Here's what we know about the upcoming streaming production that will take audiences back to the field.
The 'Friday Night Lights' reboot will start from scratch.
Over the course of five seasons, the previous Friday Night Lights television series made audiences fall in love with coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler), Jason Street (Scott Porter), and Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford). These characters lived in the fictional town of Dillon, Texas, where they tried to lead their high school football team towards glory.
That won't be the case for the upcoming Friday Night Lights reboot. According to Variety, when the project was being shopped around to studios, it was established that the new series will introduce different characters trying to make a name for themselves in the world of high school football.
That means that the new Friday Night Lights won't cast younger actors to step into the old characters. Instead, the team at Peacock will create new players in order to hook younger audiences to the magic of the show. No cast members for the reboot have been announced by the streaming platform.
Taylor Kitsch won't be a part of the new 'Friday Night Lights' cast.
The fact that no cast members have been announced for the Friday Night Lights reboot leaves the door open for actors from the previous series to make an appearance. However, there's one member of the original team who won't be making his way to the show any time soon. Taylor Kitsch has stated that he doesn't want to appear in the Friday Night Lights reboot.
According to USA Today, the actor who portrayed fullback Tim Riggins in the previous show has moved on towards different projects, stating: "Yeah, I'm not going back". Nevertheless, Tim was open to the possibility of making a small cameo in the series. That wouldn't force him to have a significant role in the story while still honoring his time as a part of the Dillon Panthers.
When will the 'Friday Night Lights' reboot be released?
Peacock hasn't announced a release date for their upcoming Friday Night Lights reboot. The project is still in the early stages of its development, meaning that it will take a while before audiences can enjoy it on the screen. After the new characters are cast, Peacock will send the project to principal photography, followed by an extensive editing process that will put the pieces of the story together.