10 things to know about the new Gossip Girl remake
Jan 05, 2021
Hey Upper East Siders, Gossip Girl’s back.
That’s right. After announcing the revival to much fanfare back in July 2019, the series is finally in production. We’ll soon get another peek into the scandalous lives of Manhattan’s elite and prep school teens. In the meantime, here are 10 things to know about the upcoming Gossip Girl revival:
1) It’s set eight years after the original ended
The official summary for the series 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 the intervening years.”
The show will be set in 2021, and will take place in the same universe that Serena, Blair, Dan, Nate and Chuck inhabited, which leads to the question: will any of the original stars be back?
2) Not spotted: S, B, Lonely Boy, Chuck or Nate
According to showrunner Joshua Safran, the new series will mention past characters because “the universe still exists.” While the original stars were notified of the planned revival, they have not been officially approached to be involved. None of them have outright nixed the idea of getting involved with the new series yet. So, who knows what might be in store?
3) XOXO, Kristen Bell will return
One series regular will be returning, and that is Kristen Bell as the titular narrator. The news was confirmed in November 2019, and it was well received. Bell’s voice-overs were an iconic part of the show, and it would not be the same without her timeless sign-off, “XOXO, Gossip Girl.”
4) The (original) dream team returns
Bringing Gossip Girl into the present day are original creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, who are serving as executive producers. Original showrunner and series writer Joshua Safran is also on board, as well as original costume designer Eric Daman, the visionary behind Blair’s headbands, Serena’s blazers and Chuck’s scarf. You know what that means: we can expect even more iconic outfits to go along with those outlandish plot lines.
5) There we be a total of 10 episodes, each an hour long
Speaking of bonkers plot lines, Safran and his team will have to fit them all into 10 hour-long episodes, as there is only one season on order by HBO Max. But who knows – if it is anything like its predecessor, more seasons may be on order. At the moment, HBO Max is only available in the US, and the show has yet to find an international distributor.
6) The show will debut in 2021
The revival had been due for a fall 2020 release, but production was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Filming officially started in early November, with photos of new cast on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The show is now expected to be released in 2021.
7) This just in: The lead characters have been introduced
Speaking of the hot new cast, they have been revealed on Instagram, along with their character names, and a one-word character description:
- Jordan Alexander as Julien Calloway (Influence)
- Savannah Smith as Monet de Haan (Power)
- Zión Moreno as Luna La (Style)
- Thomas Doherty as Max Wolfe (Freedom)
- Emily Alyn Lind as Audrey Hope (Grace)
- Tavi Gevinson as Kate Keller (Ambition)
- Eli Brown as Otto “Obie” Bergman IV (Priviledge)
- Evan Mock as Akeno “Aki” Menzies (Innocence)
- Whitney Peak as Zoya Lott (Perspective)
8) The cast is more diverse
If you couldn’t already tell from the cast photo, the new cast is much more diverse than that of the original, though the series is still set among Manhattan’s elite. Showrunner Joshua Safran noted that the new storyline will better reflect the diversity of youth in New York City. He has also commented on Twitter that the show will be “very, very queer.”
9) The new GG will centre on the impact of social media
The drama of the original show came from the anonymous publication of intimate secrets on the internet. The reboot will feature the new cast navigating the world of social media-driven gossip, addressing issues such as online privacy. What’s more – Safran has said to expect “a twist”. Does that mean more ridiculous reveals? We can only hope.
10) Spotted: The first teaser
A cell phone teaser of the new UESers has been spotted on the official Gossip Girl instagram. Check it out for yourself. XOXO.
See also: How music icon Dionne Warwick created 2020’s best Twitter account
