Gossip Girl Reboot Reveals First Look At HBO Max’s Lineup

Gossip Girl reboot footage has been revealed, teasing a glimpse into the upcoming HBO Max series that premieres in 2021. A sequel to The CW drama of the same name, it will be based on Cecily von Ziegesar’s novel series. The original series helped catapult actors like Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, and Chace Crawford to stardom.

The revival takes place eight years after the events of the first outing, following a new group of Manhattan private schoolers. Kristin Bell returns to give voice to the titular Gossip Girl, which pays attention to the school’s fresh batch of elites. Set in the same universe as the original, showrunner Joshua Safran says the reboot will allow for plenty of references and potential cameos.  

In HBO Max’s video featuring its lineup of upcoming movies and series, a first glimpse of the show is revealed. The quick preview highlights the reboot’s diverse cast. That includes Emily Alyn Lind, Whitney Peak, Eli Brown, Thomas Doherty, Zión Moreno, Savannah Smith, Jordan Alexander, Evan Mock, Tavi Gevinson, Johnathan Fernandez, Jason Gotay, Adam Chanler-Berat, and Laura Benanti.

The original Gossip Girl series was severely lacking in terms of representation, so the reboot’s diverse casting is a lauded move.

What can we expect from the Gossip Girl reboot series? 

One exciting element to anticipate from the reboot is how change in times could have influenced the new Gossip Girl. Back in 2007, the show’s protagonists were quick to turn to their phones to stay ahead of the latest news. The titular gossip queen exploited this fact, regularly providing her readers with information whether it is controversial or insignificant. 

These days, consumers get much of their information online which only drives platforms and creators to maximize this opportunity. Today, everyone from celebrities to regular people can create anything and find themselves trending in a moment’s notice. In other words, the reboot will have plenty of ground to explore the dynamics of social media and its consumers if it leans into this fact.

On the other hand, the reboot should not be overly reverent of what came before. Several episodes of the original Gossip Girl featured characters using their immense wealth and privilege to destroy anyone that stood in their way. Another troubling aspect is how Chuck Bass (Ed Westwick), was romanticized despite his attempted rape incident in his first scenes. While the original Gossip Girl was fun in many ways, the reboot hopefully can chart its own unique and more progressive path.

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