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Ron Howard nixes idea of doing a 'Happy Days' reboot

By Sophia Soto | Last updated May 30, 2025 9:19 AM ET

Ron Howard is sharing his thoughts on a Happy Days reboot, but sadly for fans of the beloved sitcom, it is not something that seems to be in the cards.

"It's amazing, but we're not doing a reboot," Howard told PEOPLE, explaining that he would not reprise his role as Richie Cunningham. "The fact that the show endures, and that The Andy Griffith Show is still on — both of these shows have never left the air — and it kind of blows my mind in an interesting way."

He was cast at only 5 years old for The Andy Griffith Show, portraying Opie from 1960 to 1968. Happy Days, which recently celebrated 50 years since its premiere, ran from 1974 to 1984. Howard starred for the first seven seasons before leaving the series in the seventh season. He did eventually come back to guest-star for the 250th episode, which was split into a two-part series finale.

"The 250th episode we did, after Ron Howard ... left the show, and his contract with NBC expired, he came home," producer and showrunner Brian Levant said. "To see [the cast] reunited, and having such joy in playing the characters and playing with each other, that's what was really memorable. It's like, the teammates were reunited."

Producer and showrunner Fred Fox Jr. then added, "The audience went wild when they saw Ron come back."

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"There's something about that that doesn't age — it was nostalgia when it was made," he continued to share. "For that reason, [both shows] seem to endure, and it means the world to me."

Additionally, he mentioned that he and Henry Winkler not only "clicked immediately" as professionals, but that he actually looked up to his co-star. "Henry's a few years older than I am. Yale educated, and he looked at acting in a way that was — it wasn't Hollywood," Howard expressed. "It was a little more intellectual. It was theater based, and that was new to me. But more than anything, we just got along beautifully and worked well together."

The rest of the cast included Marion Ross, Tom Bosley, Erin Moran, Anson Williams, Don Most, Al Molinaro, and Scott Baio.

Sophia Soto

Sophia Soto is a writer and interviewer with a passion for all things entertainment. She is a Senior Reporter at The Nerds of Color and contributes to Yardbarker, Screensphere, Den of Geek, What to Watch, Nerdtropolis, and Temple of Geek. You can see her past work on Remezcla, Young Hollywood, Looper, Paste Magazine, Primetimer, Soundsphere, and Starry Constellation Magazine

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