"California, here we come." 21 years later, The O.C.'s theme song still turns up the nostalgia and the urge for some sort of follow-up. According to Ben McKenzie, fans aren't the only ones hoping that the beloved teen show will get a continuation. In a panel held at FanExpo Canada, hosted by Collider's Maggie Lovitt, the actor known for portraying Ryan Atwood shared that he still holds onto the possibility of reprising his iconic role. Although there is nothing set in stone for an official return, McKenzie did say that he has chatted with showrunner Josh Schwartz about what a series comeback could look like. He said:
“It'd be interesting to revisit those characters too. I mean, I talked to Josh about that, and I've dabbled with that a little bit. Nothing is happening right now that I know of, but it would be kind of interesting.”
The actor went on to say that as much as he would love to play Ryan again, he finds it hard to envision a revival given that the main characters are the beating heart of The O.C. Although the idea would be to pass on the torch to a new generation for the show to remain relevant, audiences that grew up with the OG installment are inherently attached to the leads. McKenzie explained:
"Seth Cohen, Marissa Cooper, Ryan Atwood, I don’t want to detour the importance, but they became so close to us that you can’t make a
The O.C.
Part 2. It would have to be new actors playing some sort of role, so that is kind of the thing we need to figure out.”
What Happened at the End of 'The O.C.'?
The series ends with Ryan as an accomplished architect, who sees a boy on the street with a similar appearance to his in the pilot and asks him if he needs help. This final scene leaves audiences under the impression that, much like Sandy (Peter Gallagher), the protagonist would take the boy under his wing and give the teenager the opportunity to have a better life. At the panel, McKenzie shared that he would be on board to take on the role of a parental figure if a reboot or spin-off were to happen. He believes that this would be a way to maintain the show's multigenerational dynamic. He told audiences at Fan Expo:
"The idea is to
pass it on to a younger generation
, so that it can be relevant, but still keep the multigenerational figure thing that
The O.C.
did pretty well with such great actors like Peter Gallagher, Kelly Rowan, Melinda Clarke, and Tate Donovan."
Although there isn't any news about whether The O.C. will return to the screen anytime soon, it is comforting to know that the lead actor still ponders the idea of getting back on set with his former co-stars.
Seasons 1-4 of The O.C. are available to stream on Hulu.
The O.C.
A troubled youth becomes embroiled in the lives of a close-knit group of people in the wealthy, upper-class neighborhood of Newport Beach, Orange County, California.
Image via Fan Expo
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