"Nashville" lead co-stars Hayden Panettiere and Connie Britton are now officially confirmed to return on the musical drama, which heads to CMT for its fifth season.
Panettiere and Britton are set to reprise their roles as rival country music icons, Juliette Barnes and Rayna James, respectively, according to TV Line. Both will be joined by seven other series regulars including Sam Palladio, Charles Esten, Lennon Stella, Clare Bowen, Maisy Stella, Jonatahan Jackson and Chris Carmack.
The news comes after "Nashville" was cancelled in ABC after its four seasons run, but was revived by CMT shortly after. Confirmation of Panetierre's return also comes off as a bit of surprise due to the actress' recent battle with post-partum depression.
Previously, it has been reported that now-former cast members Aubrey Peeples and Will Chase will no longer be part of "Nashville" Season 5. No word yet on whether the duo will still appear in a recurring role, or if their characters will be completely written-off from the story.
In the finale episode of season four, the fate of Juliette Barnes is left hanging in the balance as the plane she was boarding on with her daughter disappeared into thin air. Going into Season 5, fans can now rest assured that this cliffhanger will be given a resolution.
Callie Khouri, "Nashville's" creator and showrunner, talked about the said cliffhanger at a Tenenessee Screenwriting Association seminar, joking that Barnes will not survive the plane crash. But kidding aside, Khouri stayed mum about the fate of Barnes.
"I'm not going to tell you! I'm not telling you anything," she told CMT. "You'll have to wait and see," she added.
"Nashville" Season 5's premiere is yet to be announced.
