Photo: Presley Ann/Getty ImagesThere could be noGossip GirlwithoutKristen Bell’s iconic narration.In a recent interview withEntertainment Tonight, the cast and creators of the upcoming HBO Maxreboot of the teen drama discussed why it was a “necessity'” to have Bell return toserve as the voiceof the all-knowing Gossip Girl.Showrunner Joshua Safran told the outlet that creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage previously said they wouldn’t do the reboot if Bell, 40, had declined.“It wasn’t really a conversation, Josh and Stephanie were like, if she doesn’t want to do it, let’s all walk away,” said Safran. “We went up to her and she was like, ‘Of course I want to do it.’ And then, yeah, there’s noGossip Girlwithout Kristen. I mean, it’s not just the voice, it’s her whole being.“He continued, “Her soul comes through her voice and you just feel like you’re in the show. Without her, whenever there’s like, a temp, it doesn’t feel like the show, and then when you hear her voice, then you’re like, ‘There it is.'“Gossip Girl reboot filming.Gotham/GC ImagesBased on author Cecily von Ziegesar’s book series of the same name, the originalGossip Girlran for six seasons on The CW from 2007 to 2012. The series centered on the drama-filled lives of rich teens living in New York’s Upper East Side and starredBlake Lively,Leighton Meester,Penn Badgley,Chace Crawford,Ed Westwick,Taylor Momsen,Kelly Rutherford,Matthew SettleandJessica Szohr.The new series, set to premiere on HBO Max July 8, stars Whitney Peak,Emily Alyn Lind,Evan Mock, Jordan Alexander,Thomas Doherty, Eli Brown, Zión Moreno, Savannah Smith and Tavi Gevinson.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Of Bell’s narration, Gevinson said, “I mean, thank God [she’s back], she’s the iconic voiceover … like, any other voice would be like, ‘Eh.'“Lynd agreed that Bell’s involvement was a “necessity.” “Like, how can you have Gossip Girl without Kristen Bell?” she said. “She’s Gossip Girl, even if she’s not Gossip Girl, she’s Gossip Girl. We need Kristen Bell, are you kidding me?““So, first of all, Kristen Bell, like, swoon! We were all so excited because it really wouldn’t have been the same without her and I don’t think it could have happened, so shout-out to Kristen Bell,” added Alexander. “We were so excited to pay homage to the firstGossip Girl. It was really like a quintessential New York moment and, you know, we are the next generation and we are just here to be really excited about that and, like, obviously hats off for the originalGossip Girland what they did, really.“During an appearance onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallonlast month, Bell discussed how the new and the old shows differ, teasing a"twist"in the new series’ first episode.“OnGossip Girl, the new show is really cool because it talks all about how social media has changed us, and it’s more risqué because it’s on HBO Max, and there’s a twist at the end of episode one that’s really different,” said theGood Placealum.Gossip Girlpremieres July 8 on HBO Max.
Photo: Presley Ann/Getty Images
There could be noGossip GirlwithoutKristen Bell’s iconic narration.In a recent interview withEntertainment Tonight, the cast and creators of the upcoming HBO Maxreboot of the teen drama discussed why it was a “necessity’” to have Bell return toserve as the voiceof the all-knowing Gossip Girl.Showrunner Joshua Safran told the outlet that creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage previously said they wouldn’t do the reboot if Bell, 40, had declined.“It wasn’t really a conversation, Josh and Stephanie were like, if she doesn’t want to do it, let’s all walk away,” said Safran. “We went up to her and she was like, ‘Of course I want to do it.’ And then, yeah, there’s noGossip Girlwithout Kristen. I mean, it’s not just the voice, it’s her whole being.“He continued, “Her soul comes through her voice and you just feel like you’re in the show. Without her, whenever there’s like, a temp, it doesn’t feel like the show, and then when you hear her voice, then you’re like, ‘There it is.'“Gossip Girl reboot filming.Gotham/GC ImagesBased on author Cecily von Ziegesar’s book series of the same name, the originalGossip Girlran for six seasons on The CW from 2007 to 2012. The series centered on the drama-filled lives of rich teens living in New York’s Upper East Side and starredBlake Lively,Leighton Meester,Penn Badgley,Chace Crawford,Ed Westwick,Taylor Momsen,Kelly Rutherford,Matthew SettleandJessica Szohr.The new series, set to premiere on HBO Max July 8, stars Whitney Peak,Emily Alyn Lind,Evan Mock, Jordan Alexander,Thomas Doherty, Eli Brown, Zión Moreno, Savannah Smith and Tavi Gevinson.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Of Bell’s narration, Gevinson said, “I mean, thank God [she’s back], she’s the iconic voiceover … like, any other voice would be like, ‘Eh.'“Lynd agreed that Bell’s involvement was a “necessity.” “Like, how can you have Gossip Girl without Kristen Bell?” she said. “She’s Gossip Girl, even if she’s not Gossip Girl, she’s Gossip Girl. We need Kristen Bell, are you kidding me?““So, first of all, Kristen Bell, like, swoon! We were all so excited because it really wouldn’t have been the same without her and I don’t think it could have happened, so shout-out to Kristen Bell,” added Alexander. “We were so excited to pay homage to the firstGossip Girl. It was really like a quintessential New York moment and, you know, we are the next generation and we are just here to be really excited about that and, like, obviously hats off for the originalGossip Girland what they did, really.“During an appearance onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallonlast month, Bell discussed how the new and the old shows differ, teasing a"twist"in the new series’ first episode.“OnGossip Girl, the new show is really cool because it talks all about how social media has changed us, and it’s more risqué because it’s on HBO Max, and there’s a twist at the end of episode one that’s really different,” said theGood Placealum.Gossip Girlpremieres July 8 on HBO Max.
There could be noGossip GirlwithoutKristen Bell’s iconic narration.
In a recent interview withEntertainment Tonight, the cast and creators of the upcoming HBO Maxreboot of the teen drama discussed why it was a “necessity’” to have Bell return toserve as the voiceof the all-knowing Gossip Girl.
Showrunner Joshua Safran told the outlet that creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage previously said they wouldn’t do the reboot if Bell, 40, had declined.
“It wasn’t really a conversation, Josh and Stephanie were like, if she doesn’t want to do it, let’s all walk away,” said Safran. “We went up to her and she was like, ‘Of course I want to do it.’ And then, yeah, there’s noGossip Girlwithout Kristen. I mean, it’s not just the voice, it’s her whole being.”
He continued, “Her soul comes through her voice and you just feel like you’re in the show. Without her, whenever there’s like, a temp, it doesn’t feel like the show, and then when you hear her voice, then you’re like, ‘There it is.'”
Gossip Girl reboot filming.Gotham/GC Images
Based on author Cecily von Ziegesar’s book series of the same name, the originalGossip Girlran for six seasons on The CW from 2007 to 2012. The series centered on the drama-filled lives of rich teens living in New York’s Upper East Side and starredBlake Lively,Leighton Meester,Penn Badgley,Chace Crawford,Ed Westwick,Taylor Momsen,Kelly Rutherford,Matthew SettleandJessica Szohr.
The new series, set to premiere on HBO Max July 8, stars Whitney Peak,Emily Alyn Lind,Evan Mock, Jordan Alexander,Thomas Doherty, Eli Brown, Zión Moreno, Savannah Smith and Tavi Gevinson.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Of Bell’s narration, Gevinson said, “I mean, thank God [she’s back], she’s the iconic voiceover … like, any other voice would be like, ‘Eh.'”
Lynd agreed that Bell’s involvement was a “necessity.” “Like, how can you have Gossip Girl without Kristen Bell?” she said. “She’s Gossip Girl, even if she’s not Gossip Girl, she’s Gossip Girl. We need Kristen Bell, are you kidding me?”
“So, first of all, Kristen Bell, like, swoon! We were all so excited because it really wouldn’t have been the same without her and I don’t think it could have happened, so shout-out to Kristen Bell,” added Alexander. “We were so excited to pay homage to the firstGossip Girl. It was really like a quintessential New York moment and, you know, we are the next generation and we are just here to be really excited about that and, like, obviously hats off for the originalGossip Girland what they did, really.”
During an appearance onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallonlast month, Bell discussed how the new and the old shows differ, teasing a"twist"in the new series’ first episode.
“OnGossip Girl, the new show is really cool because it talks all about how social media has changed us, and it’s more risqué because it’s on HBO Max, and there’s a twist at the end of episode one that’s really different,” said theGood Placealum.
Gossip Girlpremieres July 8 on HBO Max.
source: people.com
