‘Gossip Girl’ Reboot: Will Blake Lively Return as Serena van der Woodsen?
Blake Lively’s Serena van der Woodsen was a central character in HBO’s Gossip Girl throughout the show’s six-season run. She was the first person mentioned in the narrator’s blog and was constantly stirring up drama at Constance Billard. HBO has confirmed that a Gossip Girl reboot is in the works, but is Lively returning as Serena?
Which cast members are back for the ‘Gossip Girl’ reboot?
At the beginning of November, HBO announced that Kristen Bell will be returning as the show’s narrator. But beyond that, the rest of the cast remains a mystery.
Ed Westwick previously said he is willing to come back as Chuck Bass. With Leighton Meester also open to returning, it is likely that Bass and Meester’s Blair Waldorf will team up once again.
In October, Chase Crawford also talked about reprising his role as Nate Archibald. But instead of continuing his character’s story, Crawford joked that Nate would probably be a father by now.
Unfortunately, Gossip Girl creator Josh Schwartz does not like that idea, mainly because Nate won’t be that old in the reboot.
With the series expected to return next year, filming should be starting in the coming months. Once production is in full swing, we should learn more about which cast members are returning.
Will Lively return?
One of the biggest questions about the Gossip Girl reboot surrounds Lively’s involvement in the project. While most of the cast seems open to returning for the reboot, there is a good chance that Lively declines the offer.
According to Elite Daily, Lively revealed in 2017 that she would not be up for doing another season of Gossip Girl because the filming schedule would take her away from her kids.
That said, Lively added that there is a small chance she would agree to appear in another season, depending on the timing and circumstances. Considering how Lively’s character was a driving force on the original show, the reboot would not be the same without her.
“I’ve just learned in life you never say never,” Lively shared.
Lively has not commented on her return to Gossip Girl for the reboot, but there is still plenty of time for her to join the project.
Everything we know about the ‘Gossip Girl’ reboot
Although the cast remains up in the air, we do know a few things about the Gossip Girl reboot that fans can get excited about.
For starters, the show will pick up around eight years after the events in the original series. The titular blog will now follow a new generation of wealthy teenagers as their lives play out under the eye of the narrator.
Executive producer Joshua Safran also revealed that the main cast of the series will be more diverse than the original. We still do not know much about the main cast, but it will be interesting to see who lands the big parts.
HBO has not revealed a premiere date for the reboot, though it is expected to return in 2020. Fans will also get 10 episodes in the new season, with each one being an hour in length. Beyond that, it is unclear if HBO will proceed with any future seasons of the show.
Inside Kristen Bell’s return
Bell has been very busy in the years following the end of Gossip Girl. The actress is currently starring in The Good Place and released a reboot of Veronica Mars earlier this year. She also starring in Frozen 2, making 2019 a very busy year.
But that did not stop Bell from getting on board with the Gossip Girl reboot – and fans of the voice of the show could not be happier about it.
While the original series was set in the early 2000s, the reboot will take place in modern times. And a lot has changed since the show wrapped up in 2012, especially in terms of social media.
In fact, the reboot is expected to utilize social media a lot more than the original, which means we could get some epic moves on Twitter, Instagram, Snap Chat and TikTok. That does not mean the Gossip Girl blog is completely defunct, but it will definitely be getting an update.
