The ‘Gossip Girl’ reboot has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The much-anticipated reboot of the drama series – which starred the likes of Blake Lively, Leighton Meester and Penn Badgley – was supposed to be released on HBO Max later this year, but it’s been delayed until 2021 because of the health crisis.
Kevin Reilly, HBO Max’s chief content officer, told Vulture: "They hadn’t even started production yet; they were in pre-production and ready to roll."
The pandemic has created chaos within the TV and movie industries, with studios being forced to shutdown for lengthy periods and release dates being changed.
Speaking about the impact of the pandemic, Kevin reflected: "Things that would have been really meaningful and high profile have gotten pushed back."
Emily Alyn Lind has already been cast in the lead role for the reboot, with Tavi Gevinson, Thomas Doherty, Adam Chanler-Berat and Zion Moreno also joining the project.
The makers of the show have also confirmed that the reboot will take place eight years after the events of the original series.
Meanwhile, Blake previously revealed she found her role in ‘Gossip Girl’ to be "personally compromising".
The Hollywood star admitted she wanted to be "putting a better message out there".
Blake, 32 – who played Serena van der Woodsen on the show – explained: "People loved it, but it always felt a little personally compromising – you want to be putting a better message out there.
"When parents would say, ‘My teenager is watching your show,’ I wanted to say, ‘Hold on, why? Are you having a talk with them after?’ From the drug use to the point where we’re killing people, it’s sexual and salacious."