Fox’s “Prison Break” got a new lease of life when the series dominated Netflix in 2024. This makes sense, because the series, which debuted in 2005, is the perfect series to binge-watch. The story centers on Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller), an engineer who gets himself sent to prison so he can get himself and his brother, Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell), out of said penitentiary. Thus begins a thrilling adventure where people escape from prison, go on the run, escape from other prisons and fake their own deaths.
As ridiculous as its narrative is, the Paul Scheuring-created series is somewhat addictive (especially in the first two seasons, which exhibit an intense sense of urgency as the characters launch their first prison break and go on the run). The escape scenes are so suspenseful that you might even find yourself rooting for the most despicable criminals to go free, a testament to the series’ nail-biting sequences and strong characters.
“Prison Break” was canceled after five seasons, but its premise can easily be applied to a whole new series with new characters emerging from confinement – and that’s the plan. It was only a matter of time before the property was resurrected and reimagined for contemporary audiences, with Hulu planned as the reboot’s intended destination. With that in mind, what can viewers expect from the new “Prison Break”?
Hulu’s Prison Break reboot doesn’t have a release date yet
It’s worth noting that “Prison Break” has yet to be officially picked up by Hulu. 20th Television has assigned Elgin James, co-creator of the “Sons of Anarchy” spinoff “Mayans MC,” to write a pilot episode for the streaming service in December 2024, but a full series order will depend on which pilot inspires the company’s top brass to greenlight the series. However, Marty Adelstein, who is one of the producers of the reboot series, previously offered a reassuring update during an interview with Deadline:
“It’s going really well. The first script was really, really well done. They gave notes, and it looks like it’s on its way.”
Assuming everything goes as planned, the planned “Prison Break” reboot likely won’t arrive until 2026 at the earliest, but no tentative release date is in mind at the moment. The good news, however, is that filming for the pilot episode took place in Moundsville and West Virginia in June 2025, so at least the series is making progress. So, with that out of the way, what can viewers expect from the new “Prison Break,” assuming it moves forward at Hulu?
What are the plot details of the Prison Break reboot?
The new “Prison Break” would center on inmates at a co-ed facility where no inmate has escaped in over 100 years. As of this writing, the main characters include a correctional officer with military training, a politician, a wrongly convicted criminal, an influential criminal who calls the shots, a pregnant woman whose baby was fathered by another prisoner, and a detective.
Plot details are being kept under wraps for now, but it’s guaranteed that there will be a jailbreak – or at least an attempted jailbreak – from some of the characters locked behind bars. The co-ed prison is also a new twist on the material, since the previous series took place within the walls of a men’s prison that only had a few female employees.
Despite the differences from the original series, the new “Prison Break” takes place in the same universe as its predecessor, so the door is theoretically open for some cross-pollination between the two series. Either way, will any of the old school characters return for another hurray?
Who is in the cast of the Prison Break reboot?
Hulu’s “Prison Break” has already assembled an impressive ensemble of performers to play heroes and cons. “Sucker Punch” star Emily Browning will play Cassidy Collins, the aforementioned prison officer, while Lukas Gage will play Jackson, a politician ready to embark on his first quest to reach Congress. Elsewhere, Drake Rodgers (who some viewers will know from the canceled “Supernatural” spinoff “The Winchesters”) plays an inmate. Lili Taylor, Margo Martindale, Donal Logue and Ray McKinnon make up the rest of the main cast, playing Carole Mullen, Director Jessica Strand, Holt Keane and Detective Joe Dahl, respectively. Details about their characters remain a mystery at the moment, but some of them are pretty self-explanatory.
Unfortunately, for longtime fans, it doesn’t appear that any members of the original “Prison Break” cast will be returning for the reboot. Wentworth Miller previously revealed that he was no longer interested in playing Michael Scofield again, as he did not want to play heterosexual characters in the future. With that in mind, viewers shouldn’t expect to see Michael escape from another prison.
Of course, that doesn’t mean some of Miller’s former colleagues can’t show up in some capacity – but if that’s the plan, the reboot’s creators are keeping it well guarded. Still, we’ll find out all the answers if “Prison Break” hits the small screen.
