Gossip Girl fans expecting to see the return of their favourite characters in the upcoming HBO reboot may end up slightly disappointed, as the new series won’t feature any of them.
That’s because the reboot actually isn’t a reboot.
Speaking to press at the Television Critics Association summer tour, executive producer Josh Schwartz explained that the new show will instead be a “continuation of that world”, introducing all-new characters.
“There aren’t, like, new actors playing Serena and Blair. It’s not a remake. [It’s] a continuation of that world,” he said (via TVLine).
However, Schwartz hasn’t ruled out the possibility of original stars, including Blake Lively and Leighton Meester, making an appearance in the new series.
“We’ve reached out to all of them to let them know it was happening, and we would love for them to be involved if they want to be involved,” he said.
“But [we] certainly didn’t want to make it contingent upon their [participation]. They played those characters for six years, and if they felt like they were good with that, we wanted to respect that. But obviously, it would be great to see them again.”
The new 10-episode series will instead focus on a brand new bunch of Manhattan girls, while addressing how much social media and New York has changed in the years since.
Speaking about executive producer Joshua Safran, who is writing the new series, Schwartz said: “He had a really great take and a really great idea, and that made it feel like this was the moment. He definitely wanted to subvert the original paradigm.”
From Harper’s Bazaar UK
