Fans react to Zoey 102 trailer as Jamie Lynn Spears reunites with Nickelodeon cast

Pacific Coast Academy gang has reunited in the movie trailer for ‘Zoey 102’ on Paramount+

Are you ready? The official trailer for Zoey 102 has arrived.

On Tuesday 20 June, streaming platform Paramount Plus released the movie trailer for Zoey 102. The sequel film to Nickelodeon’s original series, Zoey 101, stars Jamie Lynn Spears as Zoey Brooks as she reunites with the rest of her Pacific Coast Academy gang.

Former classmates Quinn Pensky (Erin Sanders) and Logan Reese (Matthew Underwood) are getting married, but there’s just one problem. Zoey is still in love with her on-and-off high school sweetheart, Chase Matthews (Sean Flynn). Much like Zoey, Chase is also in the wedding party, and she must scramble to find someone to “play” her boyfriend at the reunion.

In the trailer, Zoey can be seen hiring the handsome “Hugo Hemsworth” (Dean Geyer) to be her date for the wedding. At the reunion, she catches Chase’s gaze from across the room and he immediately bumps into a pole – even though he’s brought his own date to the nuptials.

The trailer eventually sees Zoey and Chase sitting on a beach together as they reminisce about their days back at school. “When did life get so messy? I would kill to go back to PCA,” Zoey said to Chase, who replied: “I’m sure we’d all love to go back.”

The original series, which aired on Nickelodeon from 2005 to 2008, followed Zoey Brooks and her friends at Pacific Coast Academy, a school that previously only allowed boys to enroll.

The sequel also features many old faces from Zoey 101, including Christopher Massey as Michael Barrett. Abby Wilde has also returned as Stacey Dillsen, along with Jack Salvatore as Mark Del Figgalo.

However, absent from the trailer was Victoria Justice, who played Lola Martinez, and Alexa Nikolas, who starred as Zoey’s roommate Nicole Bristow. Recent Oscar nominee Austin Butler also got his start on the Nickelodeon comedy series, though he will not reprise his role as Zoey’s former boyfriend James Garrett.

Following the release of the trailer, many fans of the original Zoey 101 took to social media to share their thoughts about the sequel film. “This looks so good to be honest,” said one fan on Twitter.

Others were ecstatic to learn that their favourite on-screen couple from their childhood, Quinn and Logan, get married in the reboot. “I can’t believe Quinn and Logan generally ended up together and are still so happy after all these years,” one person tweeted. “The only enemies-lovers I liked from Nick. Time to watch S4 of Zoey 101 again in prep for #Zoey102”.

“The only good thing about this is that Quinn and Logan MADE IT OUT THE TRENCHES,” another shared.

“Quinn and Logan getting married, that’s cute actually,” said someone else.

However, much of the Zoey 101 reboot has been shrouded in controversy amidst Jamie Lynn Spears’ ongoing estrangement from her sister, Britney Spears. Former castmate Alexa Nikolas has also extensively detailed her negative experiences on set of the show, which was created by since-ousted Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider.

In recent years, Nikolas has claimed that she “didn’t feel safe” or “protected” at Nickelodeon, even staging a protest at the network’s headquarters last summer. After plans were announced for the Zoey 101 reboot, Nikolas said the sequel film was “damaging to any survivor that wants to come forward”.

The 31-year-old actor has previously claimed that she was bullied on the set of Zoey 101, and alleged that Britney Spears once yelled at her on set on behalf of her little sister. The pop star has since issued an apology to Nikolas.

“I am not crossing the Britney picket line,” one Britney Spears fan wrote on Twitter, while another said: “Team Britney.”

Others took the moment to shoutout the childhood shows that they wish were given a reboot instead of Zoey 101, such as Lizzie McGuire, Victorious, and Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide.

Zoey 101 isn’t the only Nickelodeon show to be given a reboot. iCarly – also created by Dan Schneider – found second wind when the rebooted series debuted on Paramount+ in June 2021, nearly 10 years after the show ended.

While Miranda Cosgrove reprised her role as main character Carly Shay, actor Jennette McCurdy (who played Carly’s best friend Sam) chose not to return to the reboot. Instead, McCurdy shared shocking details about her experience as a child actor – and the emotional and physical abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother since she was a young girl – in her best-selling memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died.

Zoey 102 is available to stream on Paramount+ beginning Thursday 27 July.