White Collar Creator Says Upcoming Reboot with Matt Bomer Honors Willie Garson in ‘Profound Way’

The White Collar revival is on its way!

“We’re gonna reboot. I’m writing the script,” series creator Jeff Eastin shared during a panel at Variety’s TV Fest on Thursday, June 6. The 57-year-old producer was joined by series stars Matt Bomer, Tim DeKay and Tiffani Thiessen — each of whom confirmed their involvement in the upcoming iteration.

“It’s a fantastic script and it answers all the questions that one would have if you watch the show,” DeKay, 60, said. “And it would introduce the show to those who haven’t seen it as well. Both edges of the sword are honed.”

“It honors Willie, too, in a profound way,” DeKay added, referencing late costar Willie Garson, — who starred as a conman named Mozzie in the USA Network series. Garson died in 2021 of pancreatic cancer. He was 57.

“With such sensitivity and such heart,” Thiessen, 50, added of the reboot’s remembrance of the late actor. “I told Jeff after I finished it, I literally was so excited, but at the same time had tears in my eyes — for good reason. You captured the suspense, the thrill, the characters and the love in that reboot.”

As for what audiences can expect from the reboot, Eastin didn’t provide too many details about what’s to come, noting that he tried to keep the 2014 series finale “open.” 

“If you get to the finale, with Neal Bomer walking in Paris, that was always the setup,” he said. “I always left it open, and as the years passed, it seemed more like a distant hope."

Adding, "But say th -

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ank you to Suits for starting this streaming trend. They were doing great, and got people watching White Collar now on Netflix. That’s doing really, really good. Off of that, it’s like, ‘Hey, let’s do another one.'”

In February, Bomer, 46, spoke of his late friend with PEOPLE days before what would have been Garson’s 60th birthday.

“I have only special memories of working with Willie,” Bomer said at SCAD TVfest. “He made every day more fun. He made every day more funny. He certainly added color to any room he was in, any conversation he was in, and he was a beautiful actor to get to work with.”

“Whenever I looked in the call sheet and I said that I was going to have scenes with Mozzie, coming up that next week, I knew it was going to be a fun day at work,” Bomer said.

The procedural drama premiered in 2009 and ran until 2014. It starred Bomer as con man Neal Caffrey, who makes his living by committing white-collar crimes. But after being caught by the FBI twice, he’s asked to help the agency and agent Peter Burke (DeKay) track down other white-collar criminals. 

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All six seasons of White Collar are available to stream on both Netflix and Hulu.

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