‘Dukes of Hazzard’ Stars Clash Over Reboot Plans

The Dukes of Hazzard cast may be all smiles in public, but behind the scenes, they’re hitting some serious bumps over the future of the beloved show.

John Schneider, who played Bo Duke, is pushing full throttle on creating a reboot, teaming up with Catherine Bach (aka Daisy Duke) to bring the Southern charm and car chases back to prime time. But not everyone’s ready to fire up the General Lee just yet. Tom Wopat, who played Luke Duke, says he’s done chasing the “Good Old Boys” dream, believing it just wouldn’t work for today’s audiences.

At a recent event at The Hollywood Museum celebrating iconic TV cars, including their famous orange Dodge Charger, the cast showed they’re still tight as ever in real life — even if their visions for the show’s future don’t quite align.

Schneider isn’t letting Warner Bros.’ refusal to develop a new Dukes series slow him down. He’s created a new show called The Earls of Perry, set in Perry County, Kentucky — a clear nod to the original Hazard County roots.

“Warner Brothers doesn’t get it. But I will pat myself on the back. I think I get it,” Schneider said during the museum event. “So I’m doing a new show called the Earls of Perry. We’ll see if that works.”

He’s confident the magic of the original cast’s chemistry is something audiences still crave. “What people saw in Dukes of Hazzard was the love and respect we all had for each other. That’s what made it special,” John said. “They used to cast for chemistry back then. I don’t think they do that anymore.”

For the reboot, Schneider promises the return of a fast, orange car — this time a 2016 Challenger with T-tops and a double-zero racing number, a playful twist that pays homage to the General Lee.

Meanwhile, Catherine Bach is on board too, but only if it feels real. She’s hoping for a return to real stunt driving without CGI, keeping the heart-pounding chase scenes authentic. “I’d like to see it return with a good script so we can all be proud of it,” she said. “And what I’d really like is to have a show with no computer-generated stunts. That would be exciting.”

But Tom Wopat is hitting the brakes hard. He says he’s happy staying busy with other projects and isn’t looking to relive the past. “I’ll be 75 next year,” he said. “I could do it, but I don’t think it’ll happen. Good luck.”

Tom added that while autograph events and fan meetups still work because fans have watched them age gradually, a full-blown TV comeback might feel jarring. “It’s easier to stomach than trying to recreate what we did back then. It wouldn’t happen.”

Still, he’s grateful for the friendships built during the show, saying he enjoys staying connected with John, Catherine, and the rest of the old crew — and prefers to focus on work that brings him joy, like his recent movie series for INSP Network and his music projects.

As fans took photos next to the legendary General Lee at the Iconic Rides Exhibit, the nostalgia was undeniable. The exhibit also features other famous rides like Scooby-Doo’s Mystery Machine and Herbie the Love Bug.

“We are thrilled to share our newest exhibit Iconic Rides celebrating some of our favorite TV shows and films,” said Donelle Dadigan, President and Founder of The Hollywood Museum. “It’s a real treat for fans from all over the world.”

One thing’s for sure — whether they’re rebooting or just reminiscing, the Dukes still have plenty of loyal fans rooting for them.