LOS ANGELES — HBO is reviving Girls, the influential comedy-drama that became a defining voice for a generation, or at least one of the voices that captured its experiences.
The network announced Tuesday that creator and star Lena Dunham will return alongside nearly all of the show’s central cast for a five-episode limited series, 10 years after the original program concluded.
Dunham, now 40, will reprise her role as Hannah, an aspiring writer who served as a loose on-screen counterpart to the actress and creator herself. Allison Williams will return as Marnie, Jemima Kirke as Jessa, Zosia Mamet as Shoshanna and Andrew Rannells as Elijah.
Executive producer Judd Apatow is also set to return. However, the announcement did not indicate whether Adam Driver would be part of the revival.
Production is scheduled to start in 2027. The original Girls aired for six seasons between 2012 and 2017, earning 19 Emmy nominations and winning two awards.
In a statement, Dunham explained that the decision to bring the series back followed the development of a story the creative team wanted to tell.
“We always said we would only return to GIRLS if there was a specific story we were burning to tell,” Dunham 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.”
The revival is among the first production announcements from HBO since its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, was taken over by Skydance-owned Paramount.
When it originally aired, Girls became both a cultural touchstone and a source of controversy for its portrayal of millennial women navigating life in New York. Its critics were often more outspoken than its many devoted fans. In the years since the finale, however, affection for the show has grown considerably, particularly among younger audiences who regard it as aspirational and appreciate its memorable dialogue and enduring popularity as a source of internet memes.
One of the series’ most frequently repeated lines comes when Hannah asks her parents to continue supporting her. She tells them, “I think that I may be the voice of my generation. Or at least a voice of a generation.”
Since Girls ended, Dunham has continued working in film and television. Her projects include directing the 2022 film Catherine Called Birdy and co-creating the television series Camping and Too Much. None has achieved the same level of cultural influence as Girls, while her acting appearances have largely been confined to smaller guest roles.
Williams has appeared in several notable films, particularly in the horror genre, including Get Out and two M3GAN movies.
Despite the show’s focus on the experiences of young women, Driver emerged as its biggest star. He subsequently appeared in a Star Wars trilogy and received two Oscar nominations.
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