‘Girls’ set to return on HBO, but a major name is missing
'Girls' is set to return with their shenanigans. HBO Max recently released an announcement video featuring all four leads on its social media channels. It mentions a "limited run," implying it will be a one-and-done thing. The description reads, "Girls, created by and starring Lena Dunham, will return to HBO Max for five new episodes." The video kicks off with Lena Dunham and Allison Williams catching up on a video call. Zosia Mamet then joins with her cat. Jemima Kirke then comes with a bouquet. Lena then gives her proposal. "Okay, so we used to spend like every summer together, you know, doing this thing that we do, making this show," she says. "And is it-- is it something that you would want to do again? Are you-- Are you free next summer?"
All four girls agree. Andrew Rannells joins at the end and confirms his appearance. "Can we still call it Girls?" Dunham asks at the end. "Because we're like old as f---." In a separate statement, Dunham explained why she wanted to do a revival now. "We always said we would only return to 'Girls' if there was a specific story we were burning to tell," she said. "I've missed these characters, but for a long time I couldn't quite picture them in the present day. Then, right around my fortieth birthday, they started talking to me in the shower. And, as you may remember, once this fivesome starts talking, it's pretty hard to get them to stop."
Warner Bros. Discovery confirms that Judd Apatow will also reprise his role as an executive producer. "We're thrilled to have Lena turn her gaze from the tumult of one's twenties to the milestone of turning forty. To say the world has changed since we last saw Hannah, Marnie, Shoshanna, Jessa, and Elijah is a massive understatement, but we know fans - old and new - will be happy to see how they've grown and relieved to see that they're still the 'Girls' we knew way back when," Amy Gravitt, Executive Vice President, Head of HBO & HBO Max Comedy Programming, shared in the press release.
Dunham appreciated the opportunity. "It's rare that you get the chance to return to something that changed your life with the gift of hindsight and a whole new level of gratitude and understanding. I love these girls (and boy), our friends at HBO, and all the people who have continued to discover the show and remind us afresh why we do this, which is the joy of being together… and the chance to wear yellow mesh…" she added. The HBO comedy-drama followed aspiring writer Hannah Horvath (Dunham) and her friends in their 20s in New York. The statement suggests that the revival will focus on their 40s.
However, one name "missing" from the list of returning cast members is Adam Driver, who played Adam Sackler, Hannah's on-and-off boyfriend in the series. Rumors of tension between him and Dunham made headlines after the actress released her memoir, 'Famesick.' In the memoir, she detailed incidents of Driver losing his temper on set, according to THR. In the series, Adam and Jessa (Jemima Kirke) ended up together. The absence spells doom for their already fledgling relationship in the show. No premiere date is attached, but production is set to begin in 2027.
