Don't expect any Gossip Girl OGs to show up on reboot just yet

From its diverse cast to the use of social media, HBO Max's reimagining of Gossip Girl has all the makings of being a wildly different show than the original CW drama that aired from 2007-2012. Updating the show to reflect the 2021 era meant making a lot of changes, both culturally and aesthetically — but it also meant making the show about a new group of New York elites rather than living in the shadow of Blake Lively and Chace Crawford.

"We made a decision early on — and I was nervous about this decision, but definitely came to believe it was right — that the audience would never accept these characters if they were in the shadow of the original characters," creator Joshua Safran, a writer and executive producer on the original series created by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, told The Daily Beast.

Although Safran acknowledged that there are some cameos in season 1 from original cast members, it's not anyone that would be considered a big name. He went on to explain that if the audience knew they were going to see Serena van der Woodsen or Nate Archibald, that would take away from the fresh stories that Safran and the writing team were working so hard to create. He also added that the show itself is bigger than the original Gossip Girl, with 16 series regulars (as opposed to seven) and 22 recurring characters (instead of 12.)

"There isn't enough screentime," Safran continued. "If Blair showed up for two scenes, you'd say, 'I want more Blair.'" The decision was: Let's get season 1 under our belt, and should we get Season 2, we'll have the chance to bring in cameos that are more than glorified cameos but actually give them storylines."

The bottom line, Gossip Girl fans? Don't expect to see your classic faves in the new reboot, but if season 2 happens, you can probably hold out hope for an OG reunion.

"Hopefully we'll get there and will reach out to the cast if that time comes and see if they'll want to come," Safran confirmed.

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