Brad Falchuk, cocreator of FOX’s Glee, might be open to a modern take on the hit TV show.
“So much of what Glee was about was really this transition from an old way of looking at representation to a new way,” Falchuk, 52, told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published on Wednesday, January 3. “I’d never say no [to a remake], but I wonder what the point would be — except it’d be a moneymaker.”
The musical comedy-drama series aired from 2009 to 2015 and starred an ensemble cast that included Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Naya Rivera, Dianna Agron, Chris Colfer, Matthew Morrison, Mark Salling and Darren Criss. The show followed a fictional Glee club in Ohio as they navigated competition and the high school experience. Glee produced memorable musical moments and tackled issues including sexuality, race, relationships and abuse. Like many other shows of its era, Glee experienced a resurgence in interest once it hit the streaming audience.
“Glee is just constant,” Falchuk added. “There are always 14-year-olds who start watching Glee and get obsessed.”
Falchuck created the series alongside TV legend Ryan Murphy. The pair have also collaborated on Nip/Tuck, American Horror Story, American Crime Story, Pose, The Politician and 9-1-1. However, after 15 years of working almost exclusively with Murphy, 58, Falchuk is branching out on his own. His new action series, The Brothers Sun, stars Michelle Yeoh and premieres on Netflix this month.
“When you work in a partnership for so long, there are so many ways in which you compromise,” Falchuk told THR. “Working on [The Brothers Sun] helped me define what it’s like to work if it’s just me. But I’m nervous. I’m obviously more exposed here. The good thing about not wanting attention all the time is you also don’t get the criticism. You don’t get the good stuff, but you don’t get people yelling at you quite as much. I’m not worried about failure. But I really want success.”
Falchuk, who is married to Gwyneth Paltrow, is still grateful for the success Glee brought him, and considers the show a major learning experience.
“None of us were prepared for that level of success,” he said. “I was younger, it was a little overwhelming, and a lot of us got caught up in our egos. There was a feeling of scarcity. We were writing about high school, so it’s very hard not to regress a little. It was a crucible.”
During its six-season run, Glee was nominated for 40 Emmys and won six. The show produced 16 soundtrack albums, with 207 tracks that hit the Billboard Hot 100. The show’s success was undeniable, and despite being marred by tragedy and controversy, Falchuk looks back fondly on the experience.
“We had so much fun and everyone got along so well,” he said. “Things went to hell, and then everyone got along again. It was chaotic. I’d never want to go back there, and then I’ll think, ‘Gosh, I’d love to go back there.’ But the biggest learning from that show? Taking the ego out of everything and being an adult.”
