The Upper East Siders are back – and more diverse than ever! Whether you have a guilty pleasure for American teen drama or have been a fan of the original CW series in the early 2000s, Gossip Girl is officially making a comeback on the upcoming streaming service HBO Max.

The spin-off will feature 10 hour-long episodes, showing a new generation of wealthy and famous prep-school teens. Original cast member Kristen Bell will return to narrate the series – and the rest of the cast have been completely updated. Here’s what you need to know so far about this new production.

The plot

While the full plot details have yet to be revealed, the official summary for the reboot reads:

“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. The prestige series will address just how much social media – and the landscape of New York itself – has changed in the intervening years.”

The original showrunner for Gossip Girl, Joshua Safran will serve both as executive producer and screenwriter to the drama’s revival, alongside the original’s creators, Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, who have also signed on as executive producers.

The cast

The cast brings together Emily Alyn Lind, Tavi Gevinson, Thomas Doherty, Jordan Alexander, Savannah Smith and Zión Moreno for the leading roles – updating the show with a more racially diverse cast compared to the original. Safran has also mentioned to Vulture that that new storyline with bring “a lot of queer content”, bringing more representation to the series.

Tavi Gevinson, pictured left on the set of the Gossip Girl reboot.

You can also expect the new cast to be decked out in the most fashionable pieces, since Eric Daman, the original costume designer for the original Gossip Girl is also coming back to dress the show.

As for the prospect of original cast members joining the reboot, none have confirmed their involvement in the show – possibly paving the way for a fresh start and a new legacy for the new cast?