Hannah, Marnie, Shoshanna and Jessa are coming back in a limited revival of Lena Dunham‘s series Girls.
HBO announced in October 2026 that production is slated to begin in 2027 on a five-episode limited revival series, which will catch up with the four main characters around age 40 — a stark leap from the 20-something New York City misadventures that defined the original run from 2012 to 2017.
“We always said we would only return to Girls if there was a specific story we were burning to tell,” Dunham said in a statement. “I’ve missed these characters, but for a long time I couldn’t quite picture them in the present day. Then, right around my 40th 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 …”
She added at the time, “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…”
Here’s a look at who is — and isn’t — returning for the revival:
Lena Dunham
Dunham will return as Hannah Horvath, the role that launched her career as a creator, writer and star. She remains the driving creative force behind the revival and is reprising her duties as creator alongside executive producer Judd Apatow.
Allison Williams
Williams is coming back as Marnie Michaels. Variety also reported in October 2026 that she’s attached as a co-executive producer.
Zosia Mamet
Mamet is set to reprise her role as Shoshanna Shapiro and is also on board as a co-executive producer.
Jemima Kirke
Kirke will be back as Jessa Johansson, rounding out the central foursome. Like her costars, she will also executive produce the new series.
Andrew Rannells
Rannells, who played Elijah Krantz, was announced as part of the revival’s cast.
Rita Wilson
Wilson, who played Williams’ character’s mother Evie, is open to reprising her role in the new series.
“That is what I’m hearing, so I don’t think Lena would be lying about that,” she told People in October 2026 when asked about her involvement. “Lena is one of the most talented people I’ve ever worked with. I would do anything for her. I would bend over backwards. Then, I love Allison Williams who, you know, I was lucky enough to play her mom. I know Lena’s gotta be cooking up something very good.”
Adam Driver
Driver, who played Hannah’s volatile love interest Adam Sackler across the original run, seemingly will not return. His absence follows allegations Dunham made in her April 2026 memoir, Famesick, in which she alleged Driver was “verbally aggressive, condescending and physically imposing.”
Driver addressed the accusations at the Cannes Film Festival in May, telling reporters, “I have no comment on any of that. I’m saving it all for my book.”
Christopher Abbott, Alex Karpovsky, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Jake Lacy
There’s no word yet on whether Abbott, Karpovsky, Moss-Bachrach or Lacy will return in the new series.
This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.
