Summary
Friday Night Lightsstar Zach Gilford discusses gathering the cast for a possible reunion. Gilford has recently been portraying the villainous Elias Voit in the Paramount+ crime dramaCriminal Minds: Evolution. However, his breakout role came with the sports saga from creator Peter Berg. Gilford portrayed Matt Saracen amongtheFriday Nights Lightscast of characters. The three-time Emmy-winning hit has endured long after its 2011 conclusion, with questions about a sequel or a follow-up occasionally rising to the surface.
In a recent interview withTV Insider, Gilford talked about the possibility of aFriday Night Lightsreunion. The actor noted that he was open to it if the opportunity arose, thoughit would have to feel necessary from a story perspectiverather than just a case of bringing the actors back together for the sake of it. Read the quote below:
I think everyone would be totally down to do it if it made sense. The spirit of that show, I think what elevated it was sort of the authenticity of it. And if it clearly was just, let’s get the band back together, it would seem cheesy and contrived and that’s not that show. If there was some story that made sense—I don’t know, I’m not pitching anything here. Well, if someone died, we’re all back in Dillon, that’s dumb. I’m not a writer anyway. But we all love each other. We’re all friends.
There Was Already An Attempt To Bring Friday Night Lights Back
The possibility of a movie continuation toFriday Night Lightsdates back to July 2011, with creator and executive producer Berg expressing interest in bringing the story to the big screen. The project made it into development, with a script being prepped. Universal Pictures and Imagine Television were in line to produce the movie, with lead stars Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton set to reprise their respective roles as Eric Taylor and Tammi Taylor. However,by December 2013, Berg shared that theFriday Night Lightsmovie would not be happening.
In explaining the scrappedFriday Nights Lightsfollow-up, Berg candidly shared that he didn’t think it would be a good idea. He toldColliderat the time,“I’ve come to believe it’s probably not a good idea and I seriously doubt it’s gonna happen.”Berg has made the same overall remarks about why there isn’t aFriday Nights Lightsrebootor spinoff. The creator and executive producer, who has since moved on to other dramas like the Netflix limited seriesPainkiller, has maintained thatit likely wouldn’t be a smart approach to revive the belovedshow.
The Friday Night Lights Reboot Faces A Big Modern Day Struggle
A Friday Night Lights reboot is happening, and it will have a major problem due to modern medical understanding - but it could actually help the show.
The finale ofFriday Night Lights, titled “Always” and written by longtime showrunner Jason Katims, has a significant legacy in modern American television history. It’s considered to be one of the best TV finales of all time,putting a satisfying bow on all that came before. It’s understandable why, despite some general attempts, and the fondness from the cast, there would be a consistent reluctance to pick up the story. As it stands right now, it does not look likeFriday Night Lightswill return.
Friday Night Lights
Cast
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.
