The first installment of the “Gossip Girl” reboot debuted on HBO Max on Thursday with a new fleet of New York City prep schoolers. Jordan Alexander, Eli Brown, Thomas Doherty, Tavi Gevinson, Emily Alyn Lind, Evan Mock, Zion Moreno, Whitney Peak, and Savannah Lee Smith star in the 12-episode series developed by Joshua Safran, writer and executive producer on the original show. “Gossip Girl” showcases a fresh crop of teenage elites who are being introduced to social surveillance nearly a decade after the original blogger’s website went dark and re-emerged on Instagram (Kristen Bell reprises her role as the voice of the elusive blogger). The first six episodes of “Gossip Girl” premiered on July 8. Part two will debut this fall with six more episodes. The series is streaming exclusively for HBO Max subscribers, but there are a few ways to join for free. HBO Max plans start at $9.99 a month (or $99.99 a year) to stream thousands of hours of (ad-supported) series, movies and more, for up to five profiles. The $14.99 monthly plan ($149.99 a year) offers everything in the cheaper tier, plus new Warner Bros. movies the same day that they hit theaters (for the first 31 days after the theatrical release). You’ll also get select movies in 4K, and you can download your favorite content to watch anytime. One of the ways that new subscribers can stream “Gossip Girl” for free is by signing up for Hulu under a free seven-day trial. Hulu costs $5.99 a month for ad-supported streaming, and $11.99 for no ads. There’s also an option to add HBO Max to your Hulu subscription for an additional $14.99 a month — after the free trial ends. AT&T also offers free HBO Max with its AT&T Limited Elite phone plan, and internet plans. For cord cutters: AT&T TV subscriptions include a year of free HBO Max under the AT&T TV Choice, Ultimate, and Premier plans. If you’re more into cable, Xfinity offers select plans that includes HBO at no extra charge, which means you get automatic access to HBO Max.
The new “Gossip Girl” is based on the bestselling novels by Cecily von Ziegesar, as well as the original series developed by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage of Fake Empire. The series is also written and executive produced by Safran. Schwartz and Savage serve as executive producers, alongside Leslie Morgenstein and Gina Girolamo, of Alloy Entertainment. Karena Evans directs two episodes, and costume designer Eric Daman from the first “Gossip Girl” series rejoined the new edition. Lis Rowinski (also of Fake Empire) co-executive produced the show revival, which is produced by Fake Empire in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
