‘That ’90s Show’ begins production, reveals new cast members
Netflix has announced additional cast members who are set to join Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp in the upcoming sequel to hit TV sitcom, That ’70s Show.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, one of the actors who are joining Smith and Rupp’s Red and Kitty Forman in That ’90s Show is Callie Haverda (The Lost Husband), who will play the role of Eric and Donna’s daughter, Leia.
Leia, presumably named after Princess Leia by her Star Wars-obsessed father, is smart like her mom but snarky like her dad.
Leia is described as a person who craves adventure, but just not quite sure where or how to start.
This appears to change when she discovers a best friend in the most unlikely of places: next door to her grandparents house in Point Place.
Joining her is Ashley Aufderheide (Emergence), who will play the role of Gwen.
Equal parts loyalty, rebellion and heart, Aufderheide’s character is a dynamic powerhouse and the unofficial leader of the new generation of Point Place kids.
Additional cast members include Maxwell Acee Donovan (Gabby Duran & the Unsittables), who will play as Nate—the polar opposite of his little sister, Gwen.
Nate apparently takes life as it comes, usually with a big open smile. He lets the gang ride in his van because there’s always something fun on the other side of the drive. He loves his family, his girlfriend and Garth Brooks.
Mace Coronel (Colin in Black & White), on the other hand, is portraying the role of Jay. Coronel's character is described as charming and flirty—but doesn’t always come out right.
When Jay’s not hanging out with his best friend Nate or working at the local video store, he’s armed with a video camera and the whole world is his film set.
Meanwhile, Reyn Doi (Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar) will play as Ozzie (new version of Steven Hyde, perhaps?), described as insightful, sarcastic and has perspective beyond his years.
Ozzie is gay and impatient with the world for not being as accepting as his friends.
Lastly, Sam Morelos is joining the sequel as Nikki, who is focused, smart, and driven.
From the outside, you could easily see Nikki becoming a doctor or a lawyer. But inside, she has more rebellion than a frustrated debutante and her boyfriend Nate can scratch that itch.
The streaming platform announced last year that it has greenlit a 10-episode series order for That ’90s Show.
This time around though, the upcoming series will follow the story of Eric and Donna's daughter Leia, who is visiting her grandparents for the summer.
Just like the original series, the show will see Leia hanging out with a new generation of Point Place kids at her father's basement under the watchful eye of Kitty and the stern glare of Red.
The multi-cam setup show will have Gregg Mettler as its showrunner with original creators Bonnie and Terry Turner serving as executive producers along with Smith, Rupp, Marcy Carsey, and Tom Werner.
Netflix has yet to announce a release date.
To celebrate the start of the sequel’s production, Smith and Rupp both shared on Instagram their first photos from the set.
“…what’s that in my old 70’s Show chair? #backtowork #that90sshow #that70sshow #netflix,” Smith’s caption read.
“And we have started,” Rupp wrote.
Prior to That ’90s Show, Fox initially released a ’70s Show spinoff titled That ’80s Show, which followed the story of Eric's first cousin Corey Howard during the height of the ’80s.
The show, however, failed to capture the essence of its predecessor, resulting in a 13-episode run in 2002.
First aired in 1998, Fox's hit comedy series ran for eight seasons with a total of 200 episodes. The show starred Topher Grace (Eric), Laura Prepon (Donna), Ashton Kutcher (Michael), Mila Kunis (Jackie), Danny Masterson (Stephen), and Wilmer Valderrama (Fez). Additional cast members include Smith, Rupp, Don Stark, Tanya Roberts, and Tommy Chong.