By HBO Max, the upcoming streaming service from the TV juggernaut, has just nabbed a new show. The reboot of the CW series Gossip Girl has been given a straight-to-series order from the network for Max. Joshua Safran, the showrunner for the original series in its later seasons, will return to write and executive produce alongside original creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage.
“It’s something we’ve been talking about — Josh, Stephanie and I — for a little bit, just in terms of, ‘Is this something we want to explore?'” Safran told The Hollywood Reporter. “We’re all so in love with the original and had such an incredible time working on it, and it’s such a big part of our lives. Then the stars aligned and we had availability to jump, and Warners, obviously, it’s something they’re very passionate about. It seemed like the best time and also the best way to do it.”
Not a complete reboot, the new Gossip Girl will act as an extension of the original. As the official description 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.” Sounds a bit more dystopian than I remember the original being.
Safran then explained that this reboot will be a new look at the same society in New York. The show will cover the idea that society is constantly changing, what with the rise of social media and the effect it has had on everyone. “None of us are interested in just redoing a story,” he stated.
You can expect Gossip Girl sometime in 2020 when HBO Max launches. It will be joining a ridiculously long list of shows including the likes of Dune: The Sisterhood and Batwoman.
‘Gossip Girl‘ Update Lands Straight-to-Series Order at HBO Max [The Hollywood Reporter]
