The halls of Hollywood Arts are opening again, and this time Trina Vega is the one handing out the homework. Daniella Monet returns to lead the Victorious spin-off Hollywood Arts, which brings back familiar faces from the original Nickelodeon sitcom while introducing five brand-new students who won an intense audition process to land their roles. The show premieres on Netflix on October 15, 2026, with a full season of 26 episodes split into two parts.
Daniella Monet Returns as Trina Vega
Daniella Monet reprises her role as Trina Vega, the older sister of Victoria Justice‘s Tori Vega from the original series. This time, Trina is not a student, she is an unqualified substitute teacher at her former high school. The character still has not gotten her big break as an actress, and now she finds herself inspiring a new generation of performers.
Monet also serves as an executive producer on the series. She spoke about coming back to the role after more than a decade away from the character.
“Coming back as Trina alongside such a dynamic, powerful cast of newcomers is something I feel very lucky and grateful to do”.
The actress also talked about what Trina brings to the classroom. “Not everyone has to be this huge star to understand what it takes,” Monet told Teen Vogue. “Trina’s not afraid to go for it. That’s a really great skill when it comes to opening up the minds of kids who are looking to explore their own talents”.
The New Students Taking Over Hollywood Arts
Five young actors make up the main student cast, and they went through a massive audition process to get here. More than 5,700 actors tried out for the five lead roles between February and May 2025.
Alyssa Miles plays Emmy. Miles is known for the series Hanging out with Alyssa and Xavier and has built a following through her work in digital content.
Emmy Liu-Wang plays Pepper. Liu-Wang previously appeared in Raven’s Home and Slumber Party.
Peyton Jackson plays Qwest. Jackson’s previous credits include Woman in the Yard and Young Dylan.
Erika Swayze plays Jen Z. Swayze has appeared in School Spirits, Davey & Jonesie’s Locker, and Workin’ Moms.
Martin Kamm plays Oscar. Kamm’s earlier work includes Unsung Hero and Web of Spiderman.
Original Victorious Stars Coming Back
Two fan-favorite actors from the original Victorious return for the spin-off. Yvette Nicole Brown is back as Principal Helen, and Eric Lange returns as Mr. Sikowitz, the improv teacher who made students uncomfortable in the best way possible.
Matt Bennett also reprises his role as Robbie Shapiro. Photos from the new season confirm Robbie is part of the Hollywood Arts world again, alongside the new cast.
Victoria Justice and Ariana Grande do not appear in this spin-off. Justice played Tori Vega, the main character of the original series, and Grande played Cat Valentine. Neither actress is part of the new show’s cast.
Guest Stars Joining the Fun
Kira Kosarin, Lexi Rivera, Sofie Dossi, and Taylen Biggs have joined Hollywood Arts as guest stars. The announcement came alongside the official trailer release on September 15, 2026.
Kosarin is best known for her lead role on The Thundermans, another popular Nickelodeon series. Rivera is a social media personality and content creator. Dossi is a contortionist and performer who has appeared on America’s Got Talent. Biggs is a young content creator with a large following.
Monet shared her excitement about the full cast in the trailer announcement. “I’m so excited for the world to see this cast and how talented they are,” she said.
What the Show Is About
The official description explains the setup clearly. Trina Vega returns to her former high school as an unqualified substitute teacher. She quickly finds herself both clashing with and inspiring a new group of ambitious students as they try to find their path at Hollywood’s most elite performing arts school.
Showrunner Jake Farrow said the character has grown up since the original series. “I love that Trina stays true to the character that she always was. But she’s grown up, and there’s a little bit of character rehab going on. She’s matured, and she’s become a better and more likable person”.
How to Watch Hollywood Arts Around the World
Hollywood Arts premieres on Netflix globally on Thursday, October 15, 2026. The first half of the 26-episode season arrives in October, including a two-part pilot joined together as a 50-minute special. The remaining episodes come at a later date.
For viewers in the United States, the show drops at 3 a.m. ET on October 15. That means 12 a.m. PT for the West Coast. Audiences in the UK can watch from 8 a.m. BST the same day. Canada and Australia get the show at the same time as their local Netflix libraries update on October 15.
After its Netflix run, Hollywood Arts will also air on Nickelodeon and stream on Paramount+ as part of a second-window release deal.
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Fan Reactions to the New Cast
The teaser and trailer drew mixed responses online. Some viewers felt nostalgic seeing Trina back at Hollywood Arts. “Only a few seconds about Trina, but it brings me the same feeling when I used to watch Victorious,” one Instagram user commented on Netflix’s teaser post.
Other longtime fans were not thrilled that the show focuses on a mostly new cast. “It’s funny how Gen Z seems to be the only one excited about this,” one TikTok user wrote.
Victorious originally aired on Nickelodeon from 2010 to 2013 for four seasons. The original cast included Ariana Grande, Victoria Justice, Leon Thomas III, Matt Bennett, Elizabeth Gillies, and Avan Jogia. All episodes of the original series are currently streaming on Netflix, where the show has gathered 45 million views since the beginning of 2024.
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