Jessica Biel Teases Bold New Direction for “7th Heaven” Reboot with No ‘Limitations’

Jessica Biel says the 7th Heaven reboot will address technology, bullying, substance use and school pressures facing modern families

The original series ran for 11 seasons from 1996 to 2007, with Biel playing Mary Camden

Biel hopes to create realistic family viewing that includes faith, community and a more hopeful perspective

Jessica Biel is teasing a few of the changes to the 7th Heaven reboot.

During a recent episode of Collider Ladies Night , the 44-year-old actress shared an update on the series, which is in early development at CBS Studios.

"What we want to create, how we want to modernize it, is really the things that are happening for teenagers and families that have teenagers all the way down to the youngest child — technology-based issues, school stuff, bullying stuff, drugs, alcohol," Biel shared.

"All of those things we want to address in a very real way, which is, I think, what the original kind of gently touched on, but we were very careful about what our audience wanted. We had a lot of limitations. We have less limitations now," she added.

Biel starred in the initial series, which ran for 11 seasons, as Mary Camden from 1996 to 2007. The series — centered on a Protestant minister and his wife, and the challenges they faced raising seven children — also starred Stephen Collins, Catherine Hicks, Barry Watson, David Gallagher, Beverley Mitchell and Mackenzie Rosman.

As an executive producer, Biel, who shares two children with husband Justin Timberlake, said she's "looking for what I can watch with my kids on television."

"It's limited. I cannot watch a lot of these things with them, and they love TV, and it's my business. My husband and I are in this business together doing these things, and we can't share a lot of that with our kids," she explained.

The show, which initially focused on faith and its impacts on the community and family, will still honor that focus, according to Biel.

"I think the idea of whatever faith you want to have, that's important. That we don't have a lot on television, whether you believe that or go down that road or not," Biel shared. "There are a lot of people that really do want to walk down that road, so I think some kind of faith, some kind of family, community, and maybe something not so jaded, like something a little bit more glass-half-full. It's not that it's soft, because it's realistic."

Variety reported in May 2025 that none of the original cast members would be reprising their roles.