Where there’s a will, there’s a way — and the only way that the football players ofFriday Night Lightsknow is forward. So it’s no surprise that the Universal Television-produced reboot of the iconic early 2000s series (that was itself a reboot of a movie based on a book) has found itself a streaming home at Peacock.
In a new, exclusive report fromDeadlinefull of football-related puns, it was revealed that the deal came together over the past few days after heated bids from both Peacock and Netflix. The series will again be showrun by Jason Katims, and directed by original director Peter Berg. Producer Brian Grazer will also return to the fold, with the three men executive producing the show alongside Kristen Zolner for Imagine Entertainment.
What Is The New ‘Friday Night Lights’ Reboot All About?
According to the synopsis fromDeadline, the new series “will be set following a devastating hurricane, when a rag tag high school football team and their damaged interim coach make an unlikely bid for a Texas High School State Championship, and become a beacon of light for their town.”
As we noted before,Friday Night Lightshas a long history of entertaining the masses, both on-screen and off. Originally a book titledFriday Night Lights: A Town, A Team and a Dreamby H.G. Bissinger, the non-fiction novelization of the Permian High School Panthers' 1988 season went on to become the inspiration for the 2004 feature film (directed by Peter Berg) and 2006 television series, all set in Texas (Permian High School is located in Odessa, Texas). The book was also, funnily enough, the inspiration foranothertelevision series calledAgainst the Grainthat ran for a single season in 1993 that starred none other than a young Ben Affleck.
‘Friday Night Lights’ EP Has Harsh Thoughts About Reboot & Connie Britton Comments on Tami Taylor Today
Britton and filmmaker Jeffrey Reiner spoke to MovieWeb in separate interviews about their hit network series that’s now getting a reboot.
The film iteration starred Billy Bob Thornton, Garrett Hedlund, Jay Hernandez, Tim McGraw, Lucas Black, Derek Luke, Amber Heard, and Connie Britton. Britton then went on to star in the television series as Tami Taylor, wife of beloved Coach Taylor, played by Kyle Chandler. Minka Kelly, Adrianne Palicki, Jurnee Smollett, Michael B. Jordan, Matt Lauria, Aimee Teegarden, Scott Porter, Jesse Plemons, Taylor Kitsch, Gauis Charles, and Derek Phillips all starred in the series and most have gone on to incredible success since the series ended in 2011. During its television tenure, Kyle Chandler won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and Jason Katims won for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series at the Emmy Awards for their work on the series.
There are, as of yet, no further details regarding casting or release date, but given theexcitement surrounding the reboot(at least from the perspective of the studio), it feels inevitable that more information will be released at regular intervals in the lead-up to production. As networks continue to scramble in their bid for eyeballs and “guaranteed” audiences — particularly during a time of such divisive, political turmoil in America — it’s not surprising that they chose to reboot one of the most beloved family series of the past twenty years. Whether or not the “clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose” ethos of the original will still ring true in 2025 or whenever it is released, remains to be seen.
Friday Night Lights
Based on the book of the same name, Friday Night Lights is a sports drama series that centers around the Dillon Panthers, a high school football team in Texas. The show focuses on the small town and the community they share, tackling major social and political issues and the players' challenges as they go through an increasingly difficult season.
