Xoxo . . . she’s again.
9 years after the unique “Gossip Woman” weblog went darkish, because the modern-classic teen cleaning soap ended on the CW, the present has returned in a brand new incarnation on HBO Max.
Premiering July 8 and set in the identical scandal-filled world of unique Manhattan prep faculties, the collection options an all-new forged of characters. It’s peppered with references to the unique, even because the gossip-hound spills secrets and techniques in a brand new social media format.
“I sort of got here into this present with an entire listing of issues that I felt had been prevalent in tradition [now] and areas that I needed to take a look at,” creator Joshua Safran, who was additionally an government producer on the unique present, instructed The Submit.
These areas embrace cyberbullying and the life cycle of an internet rumor, in addition to extra racial and sexual variety among the many forged and characters.
The unique “Gossip Woman,” which aired on the CW from 2007 to 2012, adopted the outrageous antics of rich New York teenagers, together with Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Vigorous), Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester), Chuck Bass (Ed Westwick), Nate Archibald (Chace Crawford) and Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley). The titular omniscient blogger — whose id wasn’t revealed till the ultimate episode — cooked up scandal and drama alongside the way in which.
The revival present facilities on new scholarship pupil Zoya Lott (Whitney Peak), who’s coming into the cutthroat social scene of Constance Billard faculty (now-co-ed). The highest clique contains well-known influencer Julien Calloway (Jordan Alexander), who’s Zoya’s estranged half-sister; Julien’s boyfriend Obie Bergmann (Eli Brown), who’s not fairly snug within the highlight of her fame; the poised Audrey Hope (Emily Alyn Lind), who has a messy dwelling life; Audrey’s pink-coiffed skater boyfriend, Aki Menzies (Evan Mock); pansexual unhealthy boy Max Wolfe (Thomas Doherty); queen bee Monet de Haan (Savannah Smith); and Monet’s right-hand lady, Luna La (Zión Moreno).
Characters from the outdated present are name-dropped in a number of episodes: Nate Archibald is talked about as a “notable alum,” whereas one other character looking the outdated Gossip Woman weblog marvels, “This Chuck and Blair factor is uncontrolled . . . positively pre-cancel tradition.”
The latter was on Safran’s listing of social matters he needed to deal with within the up to date collection, together with the methods wherein the web can permit for individuals to challenge a distorted model of a narrative that “turns into the reality,” he stated.
“The best way I checked out it was, no matter is within the zeitgeist concerning the unique present nonetheless is within the zeitgeist for the characters referencing it. It’s a fictional universe, nevertheless it’s 9 years later. And if individuals [in the real world] are speaking about how Chuck’s conduct and angle wouldn’t be acceptable in 2021, it’s grow to be part of [the show].”
For viewers who haven’t watched the unique in years, a reminder: Chuck (Ed Westwick) tried to rape Jenny (Taylor Momsen), and he was additionally extremely manipulative in the direction of Blair [Leighton Meester] all through the collection. His poisonous conduct is essentially glossed over or waved off as typical unhealthy boy conduct, which wouldn’t fly as we speak.
Befitting Gen Z, the brand new characters are extra edgy and experimental — particularly in terms of their model and gender id. Reflective of modern-day Instagram and TikTok stars, It woman Julien rocks a shaved haircut that might have made Serena sob, whereas Aki has a pink ‘do. The love-triangle plots are extra sexually fluid, with a central one involving two guys and a lady.
“Queer id is talked about otherwise,” Safran stated of the reboot.
Gossip Woman’s MO has additionally gotten an overhaul, too. Whereas the dish was spilled by way of weblog within the first collection, Gossip Woman has an Instagram account now. The viewers additionally is aware of who’s behind it — a key distinction between the reboot and the unique present, which didn’t reveal that Dan Humphrey was the mastermind till the top.
“I used to be solely enthusiastic about redoing a model if we might know who Gossip Woman was from the start,” stated Safran, including that he needed the brand new present to dig into the function’s emotional ramifications.
“Quite a lot of web sites and TikToks have popped up, like, ‘Dan couldn’t have performed this due to this!’ So, I felt like there was a complete avenue we didn’t discover . . . which is, in case you had been Dan and also you knew you had info that might destroy the particular person sitting subsequent to you — and also you watched Serena obtain it and also you knew you liked her however watched it crush her — we by no means explored the toll that takes.”
Does he remorse components of the unique that haven’t aged properly — similar to the large Dan reveal or Chuck’s unsavory plot traces?
“There are issues that might have been higher or deeper. I wouldn’t essentially say issues shouldn’t have occurred — as a result of I do assume there was a noble intention. However possibly the nuances had been misplaced,” Safran stated.
” ‘Gossip Woman’ is a cleaning soap and has to show story each 10 minutes. That present burned plot very quick, and it’s a type of issues that makes it nonetheless talked about as we speak. And generally [a plot point] appears proper within the second, and also you’re not taking a step again and it very completely [until later]. Life teaches you issues, otherwise you develop and the world adjustments. I don’t assume there’s any filmmaker that might ever say a couple of challenge, ‘This work is ideal.’ “
Airing on HBO Max additionally permits the brand new present to be extra R-rated than the unique.
“It’s all the time enjoyable to have the guardrails off a little bit bit, particularly on a present like this that offers with some hedonism and sexual exploration and exploration referring to medicine,” stated Safran.
“In broadcast, it’s important to tame it down. And that wasn’t essentially what would actually occur. Our purpose on this model of the present is to realistically depict [teen lives]. It’s to not push it simply to push it.”
As an illustration, in a single episode a personality will get sexually experimental along with her boyfriend. Because it’s not one thing they’ve performed collectively earlier than, he thinks she might need cheated on him.
“It’s a narrative level, it’s not, ‘Hey, have a look at these teenagers doing a intercourse act!’ ” stated Safran. “I don’t assume there’s any gratuitous stuff. It doesn’t imply it’s not enjoyable and humorous and scrumptious, versus a three-minute sequence that appears fairly only for the sake of it.”
And for any viewers questioning if acquainted faces similar to Dan or Serena may pop up, Safran teased that it could possibly be on the horizon.
“There are a pair cameos — not from any collection regulars, however from those who the viewers will know. The unique forged has very energetic workloads and lives. It could be so horrible to have Blair on the present and have her solely have two traces or two scenes. That’s not honest to Leighton or Blair.”
However, he added, the door is open for them to seem on the present “sooner or later sooner or later.”
