Gossip Girl isn't bringing in big names from the original series -- at least not for Season 1

The Daily Beast

"We made a decision early on—and I was nervous about this decision, but definitely came to believe it was right—that the audience would never accept these characters if they were in the shadow of the original characters," says Joshua Safran, showrunner of the HBO reboot. "They’re already in the shadow of the original characters, but if the original characters were there with them in some way, why would you want to briefly get to know Zoya if you suddenly can see Nate? Also, this show is much bigger than the first show. It’s got 16 series regulars instead of seven, and 22 recurring instead of 12, so because the show is bigger, there isn’t enough screen time. If Blair showed up for two scenes, you’d say, 'I want more Blair.' The decision was: Let’s get Season 1 under our belt, and should we get Season 2, we’ll have the chance to bring in cameos that are more than glorified cameos but actually give them storylines. Hopefully we’ll get there and will reach out to the cast if that time comes and see if they’ll want to come. There are some cameos in Season 1 from people on the original show, but not the series regulars."

ALSO:

• Why Kristen Bell was brought back as Gossip Girl: Showrunner Joshua Safran says Bell's involvement was a must. "We went up to her and she was like, 'Of course I want to do it,'" he says. "And then, yeah, there's no Gossip Girl without Kristen. I mean, it's not just the voice, it's her whole being. 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.'"
• Safran insisted that the reboot have more humor than the original Gossip Girl: "I was very clear: It’s got to have more humor," he said of his talks with HBO Max. “It’s a comedy of manners, but it’s also a comedy.”