Everything we know about the Gossip Girl reboot so far

Dust off your diamante headbands and plaid skirts. It’s finally happening. After nine long years since the finale aired, Gossip Girl’s reboot is coming.

The new series is set to be released for streaming on July 8th on HBO Max. A UK streaming service and release date are yet to be confirmed, but judging by the anticipation, we hope it will be around the same time.

From hints in the trailer, as well as interviews and clues from the cast and production, here is everything we know so far.

The trailer dropped this weekend

While it featured the usual glitz and glam we have come to expect of the Upper East Side, the 70-second trailer didn’t give too much away.

Sound familiar? Kristen Bell is back in her iconic role as Gossip Girl

And the fans are here for it.

Who else is returning to the show?

Also returning are the show’s original creators, Josh Schwarts, Stephanie Savage, and executive producer Joshua Safran.

Safran is in charge of writing this new chapter, which he described in an interview with Entertainment Tonight as a “continuation,” as opposed to a remake of the OG. This means new characters and a completely new angle but don’t worry, it won’t be completely unfamiliar.

It will be set on the good old Upper East Side and, as teased by the official Gossip Girl Instagram and since confirmed by Safran.

The show will revolve around the same Constance Billard and St Jude’s private schools as its predecessor. They couldn’t get rid of the iconic Met steps that easily.

What will the reboot actually be about?

The new 10-episode series will still be based on the books by Cecily Von Ziegesar. It proposes to provide an insight into our new, ever-evolving society and how social media and its impact has changed in the past nine years.

The logline, reported in Deadline, reads: “Eight years after the original website went dark, a new generation of New York private school teens are introduced to the social surveillance of Gossip Girl. The prestige series will address just how much social media – and the landscape of New York itself – has changed in intervening years.”

Will any of the OG cast be returning?

Sadly, no.

So, who are the new cast?

The cast features an ensemble of names, some familiar and some in their first acting job.

Emily Alyn Lind has been unveiled as this series’ answer to Serena Van Der Woodsen, alongside Whitney Peak (The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) and Eli Brown (Pretty Little Liars).

The most recent cast member to be announced was former fashion blogger Tavi Gevinson, who has also appeared on a host of TV shows including Scream Queens and The Simpsons, as well as appearing on Broadway.

On January 21st 2021 the Gossip Girl official Instagram was very active and provided us a glimpse into the new generation, with posts of each of the main characters alongside fitting, yet ambiguous, adjectives : Influence, Power, Style, Freedom, Grace, Ambition, Privilege, Influence and Perspective.

Diversity and representation are more important than ever

Creators have been very clear that the new series will be a fresh take on the Upper East Side. Safran has drawn upon the lack of diversity in the original show and has fulfilled his promise of more diverse leads this time around.

As a result, we can expect more LGBTQ+ storylines and increased racial diversity in the cast. Talking to Dazed, Emily Lind stated that it was about “normalising things that used to be different or taboo.”

Her co-star Whitney Peak added that “there’s a lot of representation, which I can’t say we saw a lot of in the first one. It’s dope being able to see people who look like you and who are interested in the same things.”

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