It’s been almost 10 years since we last heard from the girls who defined an era of TV – Hannah Horvath (Lena Dunham), Marnie Michaels (Allison Williams), Jessa Johansson (Jemima Kirke) and Shoshanna Shapiro (Zosia Mamet). Girls who, by some surreal twist of fate (the passage of time), are now women.
After years of silence, Lena revealed that the girls, sorry women, started talking to her while she was in the shower earlier this year, around the time of her 40th birthday. ‘And, as you may remember, once this fivesome starts talking it’s pretty hard to get them to stop,’ she said, announcing that next summer the four lead actors and Andrew Rannells (who played Elijah Krantz) will begin filming a five-episode limited reboot.
The cast confirmed the news via a fake Zoom call shared on social media, which duly broke the internet, and suddenly Robyn’s ‘Dancing On My Own’ could be heard from millennial bedrooms around the world. Girls is back to fill the void. It’s really happening.
But where are they all now? Are they still friends? What about Adam? The reboot has sparked a lot of questions. ‘We always said we would only return to Girls if there was a specific story we were burning to tell,’ Lena added. ‘I’ve missed these characters, but for a long time I couldn’t quite picture them in the present day. […] 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.’
What will the Girls reboot be about?
Last year, before the reboot had been willed into existence and well before Dunham's 40th birthday in May this year, she was asked by Variety about a potential reboot, and began theorising about what the characters might be doing now. These then, are the closest clues we'll get for awhileas to what the reboot could like...
Hannah Horvath
‘She teaches at Bard and loves raising her son. She probably has a girlfriend who’s, like, a chef. And she’s less obsessed with being famous. That is where I feel that she would land.’
Marnie Michaels
‘Marnie – it’s third marriage. She still sings, but I think Marnie really needs to take it to Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous.’
Jessa Johansson
‘Jessa is unvaccinated and lives on a boat in Croatia.’ Speaking to Nick Grimshaw on BBC6Music she added, ‘Jessa is on a boat in the Mediterranean with her 72-year-old husband, obviously.’
Shoshanna Shapiro
‘Shoshanna was married to, then divorced from, the mayor of New York City, and she runs an athleisure startup that’s zero-waste.’
Elijah Krantz
‘Elijah is the fourth lead on a sitcom, making a good amount of money and still looking for love in all the wrong places.’
Adam Sackler
‘Adam is a cult theatre actor and he’s probably living in Berlin.’
Ray Ploshansky
‘Ray is still on city council and running his coffee shop and doing better than anyone.’
Of course, Lena is not beholden to any of these ideas and they are all very much subject to change. There is no sign (yet, anyway) that Adam Driver or Alex Karpovsky (who played Ray) are attached to the project. Given that Adam and Lena fell out after the final season in 2017 and have not spoken since, it's unlikely her on-screen on-off boyfriend will make an appearance in the show, but who knows. At this point, it's all speculation.
How did the last season of Girls end?
Hannah
Hannah is living in upstate New York with her baby, Grover, whose father is a surf instructor who does not want to be involved in his life. She is working as a college professor and, after a period of anxiety and upheaval, is settling into her new role as a mother (and as a real adult).
Marnie
After attempting to save her friendship with Hannah by moving into her house and becoming Grover's co-parent, Marnie realises she needs to put herself first and moves out. She is considering going to law school.
Shoshanna
At the end of series six, Shoshanna was newly engaged to Byron Long (Julian Leong) who she met at a Sprinkles cupcake vending machine. She did not invite Hannah or Marnie to her engagement drinks and is considering cutting ties with the group.
Jessa
Jessa is upset about her fallout with Hannah after Hannah found out she had been secretly dating her ex-boyfriend Adam. They reconcile, but are not on great terms. Jessa and Adam are still dating, but their relationship is volatile and does not seem like it will last.
Elijah
Elijah is enjoying a career high after landing a major role in the musical adaptation of White Men Can't Jump. He is seeing his ex Dill Harcourt (Corey Stoll) and is still living in Hannah's flat.
When is the Girls reboot coming out?
The Girls reboot will begin shooting next summer in New York. It is therefore unlikely that it will arrive on HBO sooner than early or mid-2028. We will update you as soon as a release date is confirmed.
Nikki Peach is a senior writer at Grazia, working across news, entertainment, features. She has also written for the i, i-D and the New Statesman Media Group and covers all things pop culture for Grazia (treating high and lowbrow with equal respect).