FOXIn light of the devastating passing of beloved Glee star Cory Monteith, officials at Fox have decided to postpone the premiere of the show's fifth season.
Originally set to debut on Thursday, Sept. 18, Glee's fifth season premiere was pushed to Thursday, Sept. 26, Fox announced in a press release on Friday.
As a result, production on the newest season of Glee will not begin until early August. There are no further details as to how Glee intends to handle the news of Monteith's passing in the new season.
Although we don't know much about Glee's upcoming storylines, we do know that the Fox hit is adding two new characters to the mix this season. Fans can expect to meet a "cute and quirky" twentysomething girl named Jenny, as well as a new African American student at McKinley High.
Earlier this week, Monteith's autopsy report revealed that the 31-year-old actor died of an overdose from a mixture of heroin and alcohol. The Glee star was found dead Saturday in his hotel room Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel in downtown Vancouver after missing his scheduled checkout time.
Many members of the Glee family have already released touching tributes about Monteith and the positive influence he had on everyone in his life. Former co-star Dianna Agron described Monteith as "generous and kind" with a "smart, curious mind," while Harry Shum Jr. rememebered his friend as "kindhearted. Incredibly funny. Extremely passionate."
Monteith's death was devastating for everyone on Glee, with a source who works on the show telling E! News, "To say that Cory was much-loved on the Glee set doesn't even begin to do him justice."
If you or someone you know needs help with addiction issues, contact Narcotics Anonymous (https://www.na.org).
PHOTOS: In honor of Cory Monteith, click through our gallery of Finn Hudson's best lines on Glee