A decade after their final performance, One Direction is reuniting — at least partially. Former members Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson are teaming up for a U.S. road trip documentary series for Netflix, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed on Oct. 2.
The docuseries will follow the duo, affectionately known as “Zouis” by fans, as they reflect on their personal lives, careers and the death of fellow bandmate Liam Payne, who died in October 2024 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
“The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and all the fans who loved him alongside us,” the group posted to Instagram following Payne’s death. “We will miss him terribly.”
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 10: Louis Tomlinson, Ben Haenow and Liam Payne attend the Believe in Magic Cinderella Ball at Natural History Museum on August 10, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)
The group — comprised of Malik, Tomlinson, Payne, Harry Styles, and Niall Horan — shot to global stardom after being formed by Simon Cowell and former Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger, placing third on the British singing competition “The X Factor” in 2010.
Tomlinson teased the project in a recent interview with iHeartRadio. Speculation surrounding a collaboration with Malik grew after the pair were seen together.
When asked if collaboration rumors were true, Tomlinson smiled, nodded and said fans would “just have to wait and see.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the unnamed docuseries is likely to launch on the streaming platform in 2026 and will be produced by Campfire Studios, the Emmy Award-winning production company behind “Unknown Number: The High School Catfish,” “Smartless: On the Road” and “America’s Sweethearts: The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.”
All five members attended Payne’s funeral in November, but neither Styles nor Horan are expected to appear in the upcoming Netflix docuseries.
Here’s what else to know.
Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson spotted filming at Franklin bar
In September, Malik and Tomlinson were spotted at The Pond, a Franklin dive bar approximately 22 miles outside of Nashville. The pair were seen playing darts surrounded by a film crew, according to social media posts.
The bar later posted a photo featuring “Zouis” on social media with the caption: “Shoutout to these two guys from the UK for coming all the way out to see us last night. Thanks, fellas!”
Fans flooded social media with emotional reactions to the photo, citing the pair’s past feud as part of its significance.
“Are you prepared to be added to the list of One Direction historical sights? We will see directioners posing in selfies with that dartboard within 24 hours!” read one comment. “I don’t think you guys know but you just made History,” read another.
The two had a well-documented falling out following Malik’s exit from the band in 2015 though they were able to reconcile in 2017. In January, Tomlinson attended Malik’s Stairway to the Sky Tour stop in Los Angeles, according to various videos shared on social media.
“An old friend of mine is here to support me tonight,” Malik said from the stage. “He’s hidden somewhere here. I don’t want to give his location away, but Louis is here tonight.”
Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for the Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com or follow her on X at @_leyvadiana
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: One Direction’s Malik, Tomlinson new docuseries uses TN location