gossip girl reboot narrator kristen bell
[Photo via The CW]

‘Gossip Girl’ reboot confirms narrator returning to Upper East Side

Rumors have been flying around a Gossip Girl revival since early this year. While new streaming service HBO Max confirmed it secured the reboot in July, not much information has come since then until now. Today, The Hollywood Reporter confirms Gossip Girl herself Kristen Bell will be reprising her role as the faceless narrator of the series.

Creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage and original series executive producer Joshua Safran are all returning. HBO Max has confirmed a 10-episode order, which Safran will be writing.

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“Kristen Bell has always been and will always be the voice of Gossip Girl,” the producers said in a statement.

The original series premiered in Sept. 2007 on the CW. It ran for six seasons, concluding in 2012. Based on the Cecily von Ziegesar book series of the same name, the show followed upper-class teens in Manhattan’s Upper East Side who kept up to date with each other on a blog run by the anonymous Gossip Girl.

Bell voiced the infamous titular character, reading off the posts and texts blasted to the Manhattan elite. The actress had just wrapped a starring role in Veronica Mars months ahead of the Gossip Girl premiere in 2007. Bell appeared in every episode of the series including the final one of herself where the real Gossip Girl is revealed.

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Her cameo has her helping Rachel Bilson (who famously portrayed Summer in Schwarz’ other beloved teen show The O.C.) prep for an audition. Check out the clip below.

More on Gossip Girl

Upon confirmation of the series in July, Safran declined to comment on any plot details, but a summary has hit the internet:

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 core cast included Penn Badgley (You), Blake Lively, Taylor Momsen (now of the Pretty Reckless) Leighton Meester, Jessica Szohr, Chace Crawford, and Ed Westwick. No further information has been given regarding any of their return, but both Meester and Crawford have addressed the possibility.

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In August, just after the new series confirmation, Crawford appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. A caller asked the actor how he feels about the reboot and if he would be participating.

“No one called me. I was really upset about it,” he said with a smile. “No, no, I’m teasing. It’s great. I could maybe come back and play a father or something. It’d be nice.”

When questioned on the seriousness of that statment, Crawford laughed and said, “When I heard about it, it just made me feel old. My birthday was last week, and I heard it, I’m just like, ‘Oh my god, they’r already remaking our show. That’s a lot of fun.’”

Crawford opened up about the series being ahead of its time in October and confirmed with Entertainment Weekly he’d love to come back.

“I just love Josh and Stephanie and if they wanted me to come and do anything it would be hard to say no. I’m always grateful for the opportunity they gave me and that whole experience — it was all of my 20s, it was like my college, living in New York for that time. I’ll always have fond memories of it.”

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A few days aftetr Crawford’s WWHL interview, Meester was also questioned on her involvement while speaking with Good Morning America. “I was not asked to be on it, so no,” she said at the time.

Fingers crossed we get another cameo from former Cobra Starship frontman Gabe Saporta as well. A release date hasn’t been set, but HBO Max launches for $15 per month beginning in May 2020 here.

Are you excited Kristen Bell is returning to the Upper East Side? Sound off in the comments below.

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