The newGossip Girlis different from its predecessor in more ways than one — but fans can still expect to see some familiar faces from the original series throughout the reboot.Joshua Safran, who created the newGossip Girlfor HBO Max, spoke toThe Daily Beastabout what fans can anticipate when it comes to cameos from the OG cast.“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,” Safran, who is also an executive producer on the show, said in an interview published on Thursday.“Hopefully we’ll get there and will reach out to the cast if that time comes and see if they’ll want to come. There are some cameos in season 1 from people on the original show, but not the series regulars,” he continued.Explaining the reason behind not yet having series regulars from the OG show return, Safran said that he was “nervous” to have reached this conclusion early on — but has since realized it’s what was “right” for the series.Cast of the original Gossip Girl.Andrew Eccles/Cw Network/Kobal/Shutterstock"The audience would never accept these [new] characters if they were in the shadow of the original characters," he continued. “They’re already in the shadow of the original characters, but if the original characters were there with them in some way, why would you want to briefly get to know Zoya if you suddenly can see Nate?““Also, this show is much bigger than the first show. It’s got 16 series regulars instead of seven, and 22 recurring instead of 12, so because the show is bigger, there isn’t enough screen time. If Blair showed up for two scenes, you’d say, ‘I want more Blair,'” he added.Based on author Cecily von Ziegesar’s book series of the same name,Gossip Girlpreviously ran for six seasons on The CW from 2007 to 2012. The series centered on the drama-filled lives of rich teens living in New York’s Upper East Side and starredBlake Lively,Leighton Meester,Penn Badgley,Chace Crawford,Ed Westwick,Taylor Momsen,Kelly Rutherford,Matthew SettleandJessica Szohr.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Plans for aGossip Girlreboot at HBO Max wereannounced in 2019.“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,” HBO Max said in a statement at the time,according toVariety. “The prestige series will address just how much social media — and the landscape of New York itself — has changed in the intervening years.“And althoughIvanka TrumpandJared Kushnermade a cameo in season 4, Safran confirmed that the Trump family “would not be at home” in the new series.“Definitely not!Definitely not. And at the time, they were just sorta-celebrities. Trump was a bad real estate mogul, but I don’t think any of us saw what was coming. I think celebrity has shifted. Julien is an influencer, and when you look at influencer culture, it’s not often about who you’re hanging out with,” he toldThe Daily Beast.“The cameos here are more about the world thattheyenter, not who goes to them. In 2007, the kids weren’t famous like kids are famous now. Gossip Girl was talking about them, but if they went to a party, Jared and Ivanka were there — it wasn’t that Jared and Ivanka were there to see them. The world has shifted a little bit to where if Julien goes to a party, there are celebrities that are going to want to be at that party because Julien is there. This group of kids are more magnets than the first group of kids were inside their worlds,” he continued.He added that “this represents where New York is now.“Gossip Girl reboot filming.Gotham/GC ImagesThe new series stars Whitney Peak,Emily Alyn Lind,Evan Mock, Jordan Alexander,Thomas Doherty, Eli Brown, Zión Moreno, Savannah Smith and Tavi Gevinson.Among those from the original show that are set tomake a returnisKristen Bell, who notably narrated.Teasing what’s to come, Bell explained last month how the two shows differ — and said a “twist” is in the new series’ debut episode.“OnGossip Girl,the new show is really cool because it talks all about how social media has changed us, and it’s more risqué because it’s on HBO Max, and there’s a twist at the end of episode one that’s really different,” theGood Placealum, 40, said onThe Tonight ShowStarring Jimmy Fallon. “So that’s fun. But that’s much more of like, a character and then withFrozen,I guess it’s also a character, ‘cause it’s a little more bubbly than I am.“Gossip Girlpremieres July 8 on HBO Max.
The newGossip Girlis different from its predecessor in more ways than one — but fans can still expect to see some familiar faces from the original series throughout the reboot.
Joshua Safran, who created the newGossip Girlfor HBO Max, spoke toThe Daily Beastabout what fans can anticipate when it comes to cameos from the OG cast.
“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,” Safran, who is also an executive producer on the show, said in an interview published on Thursday.
“Hopefully we’ll get there and will reach out to the cast if that time comes and see if they’ll want to come. There are some cameos in season 1 from people on the original show, but not the series regulars,” he continued.
Explaining the reason behind not yet having series regulars from the OG show return, Safran said that he was “nervous” to have reached this conclusion early on — but has since realized it’s what was “right” for the series.
Cast of the original Gossip Girl.Andrew Eccles/Cw Network/Kobal/Shutterstock
“The audience would never accept these [new] characters if they were in the shadow of the original characters,” he continued. “They’re already in the shadow of the original characters, but if the original characters were there with them in some way, why would you want to briefly get to know Zoya if you suddenly can see Nate?”
“Also, this show is much bigger than the first show. It’s got 16 series regulars instead of seven, and 22 recurring instead of 12, so because the show is bigger, there isn’t enough screen time. If Blair showed up for two scenes, you’d say, ‘I want more Blair,'” he added.
Based on author Cecily von Ziegesar’s book series of the same name,Gossip Girlpreviously ran for six seasons on The CW from 2007 to 2012. The series centered on the drama-filled lives of rich teens living in New York’s Upper East Side and starredBlake Lively,Leighton Meester,Penn Badgley,Chace Crawford,Ed Westwick,Taylor Momsen,Kelly Rutherford,Matthew SettleandJessica Szohr.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Plans for aGossip Girlreboot at HBO Max wereannounced in 2019.
“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,” HBO Max said in a statement at the time,according toVariety. “The prestige series will address just how much social media — and the landscape of New York itself — has changed in the intervening years.”
And althoughIvanka TrumpandJared Kushnermade a cameo in season 4, Safran confirmed that the Trump family “would not be at home” in the new series.
“Definitely not!Definitely not. And at the time, they were just sorta-celebrities. Trump was a bad real estate mogul, but I don’t think any of us saw what was coming. I think celebrity has shifted. Julien is an influencer, and when you look at influencer culture, it’s not often about who you’re hanging out with,” he toldThe Daily Beast.
“The cameos here are more about the world thattheyenter, not who goes to them. In 2007, the kids weren’t famous like kids are famous now. Gossip Girl was talking about them, but if they went to a party, Jared and Ivanka were there — it wasn’t that Jared and Ivanka were there to see them. The world has shifted a little bit to where if Julien goes to a party, there are celebrities that are going to want to be at that party because Julien is there. This group of kids are more magnets than the first group of kids were inside their worlds,” he continued.
He added that “this represents where New York is now.”
Gossip Girl reboot filming.Gotham/GC Images
The new series stars Whitney Peak,Emily Alyn Lind,Evan Mock, Jordan Alexander,Thomas Doherty, Eli Brown, Zión Moreno, Savannah Smith and Tavi Gevinson.
Among those from the original show that are set tomake a returnisKristen Bell, who notably narrated.
Teasing what’s to come, Bell explained last month how the two shows differ — and said a “twist” is in the new series’ debut episode.
“OnGossip Girl,the new show is really cool because it talks all about how social media has changed us, and it’s more risqué because it’s on HBO Max, and there’s a twist at the end of episode one that’s really different,” theGood Placealum, 40, said onThe Tonight ShowStarring Jimmy Fallon. “So that’s fun. But that’s much more of like, a character and then withFrozen,I guess it’s also a character, ‘cause it’s a little more bubbly than I am.”
Gossip Girlpremieres July 8 on HBO Max.
source: people.com
