Katie Holmes has discussed whether she would return to the role of Joey Potter in a potential reboot of the teen drama Dawson's Creek. Holmes portrayed the Capeside High student throughout the hit WB TV series. Dawson's Creek ran from January 1998 to May 2003, consisting of 128 episodes across the show's six seasons.
Debuting in the pilot episode in January 1998, Holmes' Joey Potter was the best friend of James Van Der Beek's aspiring teen filmmaker Dawson Leery. A resident of the fictional Massachusetts town of Capeside, the determined, headstrong young woman was a longtime friend of Dawson, who had been there for her throughout numerous traumatic experiences in her childhood that saw her being raised largely by sister Bessie (Nina Repeta). Throughout the series, Joey grew, seeing her having to grapple with her complex, evolving feelings towards Dawson, as well as their mutual friend Pacey Witter (Joshua Jackson). As Holmes' COVID-19 pandemic-set romantic drama Alone Together sees its release on July 22, Holmes has opened up about her experience on the show, discussing whether she would return to the town of Capeside.
In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, Holmes addressed whether she would return to the role of Joey Potter in a potential Dawson's Creek reboot or continuation. The star firmly stated that she would not want to star in a reboot, revealing that it had been discussed amongst the cast for some time over recent years. Despite discussions, Holmes explained that she and the cast felt the series captured a specific era of time, as well as a specific period of their own lives. While she appreciated that the series was remembered fondly, Holmes felt that revisiting the characters at a later age wouldn't be interesting, ultimately deciding not to pursue a reboot. Check out Holmes' response below.
"No [laughs]. I'm so grateful for that experience. We've definitely talked about it over the years, but I feel like that show captured that time period and that time in all of our lives. So I think it's great that you are nostalgic for it. So am I. But it's like, do we want to see them not at that age? I don't know. I don't think [so]. We all decided we don't actually."
Holmes' co-star Mary-Margaret Humes previously addressed a potential reboot during an interview in March 2021 where she reflected on her time on the series. Humes, who portrayed Dawson's mother Gail Leery, also revealed conversations with Holmes and the rest of the cast about returning to the series for a potential reboot, even writing a treatment for a reboot herself. The actress stated that her ideal version of a reboot would pick up directly where the characters were left off, focusing on recapturing the nineties nostalgia that had been so fondly remembered rather than a contemporary, present-day continuation.
Dawson's Creek is a fondly remembered piece of late '90s pop culture that has a key place in modern television history. The show laid the groundwork that continues to inspire teen dramas to this day and has been revisited on Netflix, with the recent restoration of the show's iconic theme song, "I Don't Want To Wait" by Paula Cole, being celebrated and welcomed by longtime fans. While fans may be disheartened to see Holmes' reluctance to return to the series, it is clear that it comes from a place of care and a desire to preserve the series' status.