Reboots and revivals have been all the rage on television over the past several years, and That ‘70s Show fans are in for a treat courtesy of Netflix. A revival is on the way that will feature original series stars Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp reprising their beloved roles as Red and Kitty Forman. They will be playing host to their granddaughter over the summer to set the stage for the series. Their granddaughter will of course be Eric and Donna’s daughter, and now the show has announced the young actress who has landed the role for That ‘90s Show, as well as some others.
Eric and Donna’s daughter is Leia Forman, whose name indicates that the Eric and Donna of That ‘70s Show certainly stayed true to their roots and went full Star Wars when naming her. Although the original series aired on Fox, That ‘90s Show is coming to Netflix to take viewers back to 1995. Fittingly, THR reports that the actress who will play Leia is a Netflix alum already: Callie Haverda.
Callie Haverda
Callie Haverda, known for Netflix’s The Lost Husband that also starred Josh Duhamel in 2020, landed the role of Leia Forman, who comes to her grandparents with the intelligence she inherited from Donna as well as the sense of humor she got from Eric. She wants adventure in her summer in Point Place, and finds a starting spot when she finds a best friend… who happens to live next door to Red and Kitty. That should be a pretty familiar story to anybody in the Forman family!
Ashley Aufderheide
The revival has also cast a whole gang of kids to surround Leia during her time in Point Place, and the description of a character by the name of Gwen sounds like she’ll be the new best friend. Ashley Aufderheide of Emergence will play the “Riot Grrrl” Gwen, who is as heartfelt and loyal as she is rebellious, and leads the ‘90s incarnation of the gang.
Mace Coronel
Also on board is Mace Coronel of Colin in Black & White, playing Jay in his attempts to charm and flirt. He’s not always successful, and it sounds like he’ll be a video aficionado with his job as the local video story, penchant for using a video camera, and seeing the world as though it is the set of his own film.
Maxwell Acee Donovan
Jay’s best friend is Nate, played by Gabby Duran and the Unsittables’ Maxwell Acee Donovan, whose character also happens to be Gwen’s older brother. The two siblings couldn’t be more different, but he sounds like a solid friend to the gang by letting them ride in his van. He also has a strong love for his family, Garth Brooks, and his girlfriend Nikki.
Sam Morelos
Nikki is played by Sam Morelos, who also has a rebellious streak despite the kind of academic drive that could push her to become a doctor or lawyer. Boyfriend Nate comes in handy when it comes to indulging her rebellious side.
Reyn Doi
Last but not necessarily least of the new stars cast for That ‘90s Show is Reyn Doi, known for Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar. He plays the insightful and snarky Ozzie, who has surrounded himself by a group of friends but struggles with the fact that the rest of the world isn’t nearly as accepting of him as a gay teen.
It should be fun to see how the new cast of kids mix things up for Red and Kitty in the new show, and how this gang compares to the original. Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp are on board That ‘90s Show as executive producers as well as stars, and it remains to be seen if the show will recruit other former That ‘70s Show familiar faces to turn up.
Topher Grace had some encouraging comments about turning up for a revival back in 2018, although his vision for a return was seemingly pretty different from what’s coming to Netflix. Laura Prepon was key to one of Netflix’s earliest smash hits with her role on Orange Is the New Black, so she’s no stranger to the streamer. Ashton Kutcher is arguably the biggest success story to come out of That ‘70s Show, and he also starred in his own Netflix show for several seasons. He’s married to Mila Kunis, so it would be fun to see Kelso and Jackie back in the mix.
Considering the allegations against Danny Masterson and how he was booted off Kutcher’s Netflix show, it’s presumably safe to say that Hyde will remain off screen. Wilmer Valderrama is playing a very non-Fez character on CBS, but who knows? Maybe he’d be interested in revisiting comedy in addition to his work on NCIS.
For now, fans of the original can at least be encouraged that That ‘90s Show is moving forward in some big ways by casting the stars to play the new gang. The upcoming series hasn’t made it onto the 2022 Netflix TV schedule and may not be ready for premiere for a while, but you can always find plenty of other options in the meantime with a Netflix subscription.
