“Gossip Girl” Reboot: New Cast, New Characters, and Everything We Know So Far

Gossip Girl here, and I've got everything you need to know about the upcoming Gossip Girl reboot. After a far too extended break from the world of drama and flashy headbands, a brand new batch of Upper East Siders is headed to a television near you, and while there's no word on whether the original blogger behind it all will return, we do have enough information on the series to officially start getting excited.

In case you've been too busy planning a party in the Hamptons (sponsored by Vitaminwater), here's everything we know about the Gossip Girl reboot so far, including new characters, new plots, and how to watch.

The characters’ names have finally been revealed.

To kick off 2021, the official Gossip Girl Instagram account posted a photo of each of the new main characters �� along with one word to describe their personalities and what they represent. Shall we get into it? Get ready to meet….

Julien Calloway: Influence (portrayed by Jordan Alexander)

Monet de Haan: Power (portrayed by Savannah Smith)

Luna La: Style (portrayed by Zión Moreno)

Max Wolfe: Freedom (portrayed by Thomas Doherty)

Audrey Hope: Grace (portrayed by Emily Alyn Lind)

Kate Keller: Ambition (portrayed by Tavi Gevinson)

Otto “Obie” Bergmann IV: Privilege (portrayed by Eli Brown)

Akeno “Aki” Menzies: Innocence (portrayed by Evan Mock)

Zoya Lott: Perspective (portrayed by Whitney Peak)

After a brief pause, filming finally began in October 2020.

Production on the reboot came to a halt earlier this spring amid COVID-19 concerns, but it looks like the newest set of Upper East Siders are gearing up to take NYC by storm. Variety reports that the series will begin filming in October 2020, with production already picking up in Vancouver, New York, and Los Angeles. We've yet to learn an official release date, but HBO Max chief content officer Kevin Reilly previously told Vulture that it likely won't be until next year.

The new cast features some familiar faces.

When Gossip Girl first premiered in 2007, its stars were relatively new in their careers — though they'd very quickly be propelled to household name status. The Gossip Girl reboot cast also features relative newcomers, though some of the actors you'll likely recognize from their many popular projects.

Tavi Gevinson, fashion media mogul extraordinaire, is part of a March 11 cast announcement from HBO Max that also includes Descendants franchise star Thomas Doherty, model Zión Moreno, and theater veteran Adam Chanler-Berat.

Meanwhile, on March 2, HBO Max announced its first five cast members for the series: Emily Alyn Lind (Doctor Sleep, Revenge), Whitney Peak (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Eli Brown (The Perfectionists), Jason Gotay (Broadway's Bring It On and Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark), and Johnathan Fernandez (Lethal Weapon, Girls, Togetherish). You can read about all the new Gossip Girl cast here.

We can't wait to learn more about all the new characters; so far, we know Emily Alyn Lind will play Audrey, who "has been in a long term relationship and is beginning to wonder what more could be out there," per Deadline. We're already riveted.

Kristen Bell is reprising her role as narrator.

XOXO, our fave all-knowing voice is returning. As previously reported by TV Line, Kristen Bell will reprise her role as narrator for the reboot. The pair behind the reboot (and the original Gossip Girl), Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, confirmed that there's truly no replacing Kristen, saying in a statement to TV Line, "Kristen Bell has always been and will always be the voice of Gossip Girl."

The reboot will address what happened to Serena, Blair, Dan, and the crew.

As for what happened to our fave former private school students, that's a secret the reboot will tell. Executive producer Joshua Safran confirmed in an interview with Entertainment Tonight that the new cast will address what happened to Serena, Blair, Dan, and the rest of the former GG crew.

According to Safran, the characters all exist within the same universe. “It’s not a continuation or a sequel. It truly is just looking at a different angle," he said. "They are a part of the world," Safran said of the former characters. "The characters talk about them and that they do exist."

However, he didn't confirm who, if any, of the former characters might make an appearance on the reboot. Although there has been some discussion about the possibility of Penn Badgley returning, this is one secret that isn't being confirmed, at least for now.

The reboot will feature more queer stories and people of color.

Unlike its predecessor, the rebooted version of Gossip Girl will feature more people of color and queer storylines. During a recent appearance, Safran confirmed that a change was needed for the HBO Max series. "There was not a lot of representation the first time around on the show,” he said. "I was the only gay writer I think the entire time I was there. Even when I went to private school in New York in the ’90s, the school didn’t necessarily reflect what was on Gossip Girl. So, this time around the leads are nonwhite."

Along with a pair of new leads, Safran also detailed how the show would focus on LGBTQ+ storylines."There’s a lot of queer content on this show," he said, before adding, "It is very much dealing with the way the world looks now, where wealth and privilege come from, and how you handle that."

Here's how to watch:

The GG reboot will air on HBO's new streaming platform HBO Max, which officially launched in May 2020 (with Pretty Little Liars on its programming slate!). As of now, the new Gossip Girl itself does not yet have a premiere release date.

Per TV Guide, the new service costs $14.99 per month. For that price, you'll gain access to HBO's full content library (think Euphoria and Game of Thrones, as well as licensed movies and shows) in addition to new HBO Max originals like GG and a previously announced Friends reunion special.

Another interesting thing to note: per TV Guide, HBO Max is releasing its shows in weekly installments, not as binge-able full season drops — so you can enjoy the full slow burn of new Gossip Girl just like you did with the original.

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