I’m freaking out, you guys: The trailer for Zoey 102 has officially dropped! The iconic (though controversial) Nickelodeon drama left all of us wanting more after it was canceled in 2009. What happened to the PCA gang after graduation? The fans are finally getting closure on July 27 when the movie drops on Paramount+. Before we get into your burning questions about the reboot, I’ll refresh you on the show’s basic premise, where you can binge it, and where the plot left off.
The OG Zoey 101 ran from 2007 to 2009 and followed Britney Spears’ little sister, Jamie Lynn Spears, as Zoey, a transfer to PCA (Pacific Coast Academy), an exclusive boarding school accepting girls for the first time in its history. Along the way, she forms friendships and romances and often finds herself at odds with the grown-ups. If you want to rewatch the series, it’s available on Netflix, Paramount+, Prime, Apple TV, and Roku.
The most important of these relationships was with Chase (Sean Flynn); Zoey had a turbulent romance with him. The penultimate episode of Season 4 (the final season) revolves around prom. Zoe comes to the realization that she doesn’t love her date, James (Austin Butler), and breaks up with him. Chase then returns to sweep Zoe off her feet, and the two share their first kiss. The final episode of the season, “PCA Confidential,” seems to cement their status as a couple, and the crew takes a walk down memory lane when talking to prospective PCA students. Now that we’re all caught up let’s get into everything you need to know about Zoey 102, from the trailer to the release date.
When and where can I watch Zoey 102?
The new movie is set to premiere on Parmount+ on July 27.
What will Zoey 102 be about?
The teaser, which came out on June 20, shows the cast 15 years after the events of Zoey 101 in 2023. It opens with Zoey on a painfully awkward second date, where a guy who can’t recall her last name attempts to propose. It seems Zoey and Chase split after high school and that she hasn’t had a serious relationship since. She rants to Quinn (Erin Sanders), one of her best friends from PCA, who then drops a bomb: She is getting married to her boyfriend from the OG show Logan (Matthew Underwood) and wants Zoey to be her maid of honor.
Zoey accepts but soon spirals once she’s told that Chase will be there, whom she is very much still in love with. She desperately needs a date that will impress, so she hires Todd (Dean Greyer) to be her handsome fake boyfriend. Fans of Glee may recognize the actor, as he briefly played Rachel Berry’s boyfriend in Season 4.
Aside from the wacky hijinks that are sure to ensue, the trailer hints at deeper themes that will be explored throughout the film. Zoey and Chase are desperate to return to PCA and feel a deep dissatisfaction with the state of their lives. To put it bluntly, they peaked in high school. With their friends’ lives moving in these new and exciting directions, Chase and Zoey will need to confront reality and find closure from their high school years.
The cast features some new and familiar faces.
Jamie Lynn Spears will, of course, be reprising her role as Zoey, but she’s not the only returning cast member. We will see six returning characters in the new film: Chase Matthews (Sean Flynn), Quinn Pensky (Erin Sanders), Logan Reese (Matthew Underwood), Christopher Massey (Michael Barret), Abby Wilde (Stacey Dillsen), and Jack Salvatore (Mark Del Figgalo). It seems that Victoria Justice’s character Lola Martinez will not be making an appearance, nor will Alexa Nikolas as Nicole Bristow. The film will also feature a few new characters. Dean Greyer will play Zoey’s fake boyfriend, Todd, and Thomas Lennon will play Zoey’s boss Kelly Kevyn.
The reboot isn’t without controversy.
While the original show remains a fan favorite, its reputation has taken quite a few hits over the years. Much of the controversy surrounding the cast and production off-screen will likely resurface with the film’s release, so I’ll catch you up on the basics.
You may recall the tabloid rumors that Jamie Lynn’s pregnancy at the age of 16, which she announced in 2007, was why the show was canceled. However, Jamie Lynn later clarified production didn’t learn about the pregnancy until two months after filming had wrapped. She told The Huffington Post in 2015 that the show was canceled because the actors were becoming too old, so her contract was not renewed.
Jamie Lynn was in the tabloids once again after the release of her memoir, The Things I Should Have Said, in 2022. In the book, co-star Alexa Nikolas was accused of starting hurtful rumors about Jamie Lynn before her character was written out of the show in the second season. Nikolas fired back in an Instagram post, claiming Jamie Lynn was “lying up a storm.” She also expressed her discomfort associating with Jamie Lynn after the truth about older sister Britney’s conservatorship came to light and unfollowed her. She also was not invited to the reunion in 2019 and will not be participating in the reboot.
The show’s creator, Dan Schneider, has also since fallen from grace. In August 2022, Insider reported accusations of gender discrimination at his production company. In addition, sexualized scenes involving minors in some of his other shows, mainly Victorious, iCarly, and Sam and Cat, have made many fans uncomfortable. In Jennette McCurdy’s popular memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died, she voiced even more disturbing allegations against an unnamed “Creator.” The L.A. Times reported that this character was likely Schneider. McCurdy claimed that she was taken under his wing and pressured into underage drinking, as he offered her sips of his spiked coffee. The book also detailed how the “Creator” would give her massages during their meetings and kept her from pursuing opportunities in music and directing. He will not be a part of the production of Zoey 102.
While I’ll definitely be taking this reboot with a grain of salt given all the controversy behind the scenes, I still cannot help but embrace my Nickelodeon nostalgia. We’ve grown up alongside these characters, and this new movie is a great opportunity for the show to redefine its image. So round up your childhood besties, because this film is sure to be one to remember!