Reboots are infamously worse than the original movies or shows, especially sequels to classics. It’s going to be hard for the Gossip Girl Reboot to live up to the iconic standards of Serena and Blair, but maybe it’ll be different in a good way. HBO Max has released the new cast, characters and plotline and the show is already looking more diverse than the original.
The show is said to include a cast of different racial backgrounds and varied sexual orientations. Original showrunner and series writer, Joshua Safran is involved with the series and will be working with Schwartz and Stephanie Savage’s Fake Empire production company, Alloy Entertainment, Warner Bros. TV, and CBS Television Studios, according to Elle.
In a November 2019 interview at Vulture Festival, Safran delved into the new direction for the reboot. He said that although he was hesitant about rebooting the series, he was convinced by a 2019 reimagining of the premise.
“There was not a lot of representation the first time around on the show,” he admitted. “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. There’s a lot of queer content on this show. It is very much dealing with the way the world looks now, where wealth and privilege come from, and how you handle that. The thing I can’t say is there is a twist, and that all relates to the twist.”
Introduction to the Cast
One of the cast members, Jordan Alexander, is a Canadian singer and actress who will join the project as one of the female students at the school. In the photos she gives off more of an edgy look rather than the preppy that I personally loved in the original. I’m not the biggest fan of the high boots and the ragged outfit, but it is quite the reflection of modern fashion.It also sort of embodies how it’s not the 2000s anymore, solidifying the fact that the show isn’t a remake but a reboot.
Emily Allen Lind, announced earlier this year as the star of the show, will be playing the character of Audrey, a girl getting out of a long term relationship, according to Elle.
Eli Brown looks so similar to Dan (Penn Badgely), it’s uncanny. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that he’s the main male lead.
According to Elle, Whitney Peak is meant to be in the leading trio with Brown and Lind as well as Johnathan Fernandez and Jason Gotay.
Tevi Gavinson and Thomas Doherty look like the parents in the show, and in my opinion, their outfits look impeccable.
Evan Mock joins the cast with bright pink hair, once again a reflection of changed times and new beginnings.
In early April, Deadline reported the casting of newcomer Savannah Smith as one of the show’s leads. It’ll be her first major acting credit, as she’s currently studying acting at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She’ll be working alongside Zion Moreno in the show.
Everyone has changed, but the sweet voice of Kristen Bell stays the same on the show, as she is set to return as a narrator for the new series. “Kristen Bell has always been and will always be the voice of Gossip Girl,” the producers said in a statement to Elle.
While the cast looks really different to the original, I think it’s a progressive change. I’m glad to see more representation on the screen, and I’m looking forward to seeing more outfits and drama from the upper east side. For now…
…You know you love me, XOXO, Prapti Bamaniya