Over 20 years afterThat ’70s Showpremiered,Netflixhas announced the cast for the upcoming sequel series set in the ’90s. The new cast ofThat ’90s Showis full of young stars derived from the characters of the hit comedy.
The ’90s-setNetflixseries will center around Leia Forman, the daughter ofThat ’70s Showcharacters Eric and Donna. Leia will return to the iconic setting of Point Place, Wisconsin, where she will visit her grandparents, Red and Kitty, for the summer.
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The new members of the cast will create thefamiliar dynamic ofThat ’70s Show. Leia Forman will be played by Callie Haverda (from Hulu’sShut Eye). She is described to be smart like Donna and snarky like Eric, giving fans ofThat ’70s Showthe best of both worlds. Other cast members include Ashley Aufderheide (Emergence) as Gwen, Maxwell Acee Donovan (Gabby Duran & The Unsittables) as Gwen’s older brother Nate, Reyn Doi (Side Hustle) as Ozzie, Mace Coronel (Colin in Black & White) as Jay, and Sam Morelos as Nikki, Nate’s girlfriend. This new group of Point Place teens is described with their own priorities to take on the Wisconsin town, much like their predecessors.
Gwen is described as “the unofficial leader of the new generation of Point Place kids.” Her rebellious nature is contrasted by her older brother Nate who, “takes life as it comes, usually with a big open smile.” Nikki is Nate’s girlfriend, “who is focused, smart, and driven.” Ozzie is said to be “insightful, sarcastic, and has perspective well beyond his years.” His character is also revealed to be gay. Jay is the final piece of the gang’s puzzle and is Nate’s best friend. He’s described as charming and flirty, suggesting he may cause a few Michael Kelso-sized problems.
The Netflix sequel will feature a few familiar faces from the original series. Members ofThat ’70s Showcast include Kurtwood Smith, Debra Jo Rupp,Spider-Man 3star Topher Grace, Laura Prepon, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, and Wilmer Valderrama. Smith and Rupp have already been confirmed to appear in the ’90s-set sequel, but several other stars are currently in talks to make an appearance as well.That ’70s Showco-creators Bonnie Turner and Terry Turner worked with Gregg Mettler and their daughter Lindsay Turner to create the ’90s sequel.
The 90s Netflix serieshas been ordered for 10 episodes and will fall under the guidance of executive producers familiar with the product. Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner, who producedThat ’70s Showand the short-livedThat ’80s Show,will serve as executive producers along with Smith and Rupp.That ’90s Showappears to continue to use the group dynamic and its tropes that helped makeThat ’70s Showsuch a hit.
The familiarity in theme and the biological connection that its focal character will share withThat ’70s Showcharacters gives the new series a significantly better leg to stand on thanThat ’80s Show.The ’90s revivalhas a promising young cast who have all the tools to succeed whether they are joined byThat ’70s Showstars, or not.
