'Gossip Girl' reboot to be completely different from original, says producer

Rise and shine Upper East Side! Gossip Girl, the one and only source into the glitzy and glamour lives of the city's  crème de la crème is making its grand return with a reboot which happens to be in full swing. 

While all fans of the teen-drama had been counting down days till news on the reboot got out, it looks like their wait is finally over as producer Joshua Safran dished the details on how many of the original characters will be returning for its re-run.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, he revealed that Gossip Girl 2.0 will be completely different owing to the technological advancements and the surge of new media.

"I think it very much represents where we will be at in 2020 when the show airs. It really looks at how social media has changed,” he said.

"You know, the first time around, when the show started people were, like, checking in places on Foursquare and updating their locations on Facebook. Things we would never do now because we don't want anyone to know where we are. That change alone changes the dynamic of what Gossip Girl means and how Gossip Girl interacts with the kids this day and age, so I think it's gonna be really interesting to see. The modern age reflected through Gossip Girl,” he added.

He further answered the much-anticipated question on which of the characters will be returning and what their correlation will be with the newer additions.

"I think of it like the Marvel universe. It's not a continuation or a sequel. It truly just is looking at a different angle," he said.

“It's the same high school, so we're back at Constance Billard. We are looking at a group of friends in their junior year. Those pieces are the same. They're still in the uniforms,” he added.

Speaking about another major change, Safran said: "Not everyone lives on the Upper East Side, though. Brooklyn's not the bad place to live. Brooklyn’s probably cooler in the new version than Manhattan, 'cause it is in some places. Other than that, it has the DNA of the original.”

He further amplified the excitement of all GG buffs as he dropped hints of possible cameos from the original members.

"Well, we talk about what happened to Dan [Humphrey], so I might have to text Penn [Badgley] and see if he's really available. Penn also works constantly, but we'll see if we can rope him in there. That would be great. I would love for everyone to come back if they wanted to. The universe still exists. The characters talk about Serena, Blair, Chuck, Dan."

Moreover, fans are expected to witness a five-year jump from where the series last ended. "They are a part of the world. The characters talk about them and that they do exist. So, yeah, I would love to have them come back. The show jumped five years in the future when it ended and we are past that five years now, so it's whole new things that they could be doing,” he said.

The Gossip Girl reboot is scheduled to make a banging return to HBO Max in 2020.