New ‘Degrassi’ reboot will start filming in Toronto this summer

It’s been 40 years since the Canadian teen drama franchise first aired, but school will be back in session for the popular Degrassi franchise.

WarnerMedia announced Thursday that a reboot of the award-winning series will air on HBO Max in 2023.

It will be produced by WildBrain Studios and helmed by showrunners Lara Azzopardi and Julia Cohen.

“What excites us maybe the most about reviving this beloved franchise is turning it into a truly serialized one-hour drama. We’re honoured to be given the opportunity to lead this evolution and bring this iconic series back into people’s homes,” said Azzopardi and Cohen in a press release. The pair will also serve as executive producers.

The reboot will include 10 hour-long episodes and filming is expected to start taking place in Toronto during the summer of 2022.

“Degrassi” will be produced by WildBrain Studios and developed by Azzopardi and Cohen who also serve as executive producers. Filming will take place in Toronto during summer 2022. The series and Degrassi library are distributed worldwide by WildBrain.

Azzopardi and Cohen have local roots. Cohen is from Toronto and now based in Los Angeles and Azzopardi is a Canadian who got her start in the Toronto theatre scene.

HBO Max also announced it now has the U.S. rights for the entire 14-season library of the franchise’s “Degrassi: The Next Generation” which will be available later this spring. The network also said in a release that “Degrassi” will be made available on the Cartoon Network at a later date.

The new series will be set in Toronto and follow the lives of high schoolers and their families.

“Series after series, the Degrassi franchise continues to make an indelible impact on young viewers looking for trustworthy and authentic storytelling,” said Amy Friedman, a spokesperson for Warner Bros. “WildBrain continues to artfully capture high school life in a compelling format that can be experienced seamlessly on HBO Max.”