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HBO Max's 'Gilmore Girls' documentary set to take fans back to Stars Hollow

The upcoming title will mark the first-ever authorized documentary about 'Gilmore Girls'

'Gilmore Girls' is set to return, but not in the way fans may expect. Instead of creating more stories about the beloved Stars Hollow residents, Warner Bros. plans to give the audience behind-the-scenes access with a special documentary. In this first-ever authorized documentary, the powerhouses on and off-screen will discuss how the dramedy surpassed everyone's expectations to become a cross-generational phenomenon. The special group of creators, cast, crew, and collaborators who made the magic happen will take center stage in the title. The documentary, currently in production, will also supposedly include previously unseen script pages, outtakes, and behind-the-scenes footage.

Warner Bros. announced on August 5, 2026, that the yet-untitled documentary will most likely stream on HBO Max. The documentary will be from the perspective of the maestros behind the masterpiece, Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino. Lauren Graham is also set to appear alongside several key cast and crew members, hopefully including Alexis Bledel. Bonni Cohen, known for her work in 'In Waves and War' and 'Athlete A,' has been tapped as the director. This Machine Filmworks will produce the documentary in collaboration with Warner Horizon Unscripted Television. Amy Sherman-Palladino, Daniel Palladino, Mark Blatty, Elise Pearlstein, Jane Cha Cutler and R.J. Cutler are billed as executive producers. Bonni Cohen and Melissa Robledo will serve as producers. No release date has been announced yet.

This will be the first authorized documentary about the beloved show. However, an unauthorized one titled 'Searching for Stars Hollow' is also in the works since 2025. The latter supposedly features interviews with prominent cast members Kelly Bishop, Jared Padalecki, Chad Michael Murray, and more. The original show by Warner Bros. ran from 2000 to 2007. For the first six seasons, its home was WB. The show's last season aired on CW. It featured an ensemble cast including Melissa McCarthy, Keiko Agena, Yanic Truesdale, Scott Patterson, Kelly Bishop, Edward Herrmann, Liza Weil, Jared Padalecki, Milo Ventimiglia, Sean Gunn, Chris Eigeman and Matt Czuchry alongside Graham and Bledel. 

Some years ago, Bishop revealed in her memoir that Amy Palladino was forced to leave the show after the sixth season, as per the LA Times. The exit reportedly came after a contract dispute. A new showrunner was then brought on board. Amy Palladino later got the chance to return to the Stars Hollow universe with Netflix's revival titled 'Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.' The documentary, which has been announced 25 years after the original show's debut, could delve into those hard times. All episodes of 'Gilmore Girls' are currently streaming on Hulu.