‘Girls’ returns to HBO with Lena Dunham and original cast for five-episode revival

HBO is reviving Lena Dunham’s 'Girls' for five episodes in 2027, bringing back Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke and more

HBO is bringing back Girls for a five-episode limited revival, reuniting Lena Dunham and several original cast members a decade after the comedy series ended.

Dunham will reprise her role as Hannah Horvath alongside Allison Williams as Marnie Michaels, Jemima Kirke as Jessa Johansson, Zosia Mamet as Shoshanna Shapiro and Andrew Rannells as Elijah Krantz. Production on the Girls revival is scheduled to begin in 2027, although HBO has not announced a release date.

The upcoming revival will revisit the characters as they navigate life in their 40s. Story details remain under wraps, but Dunham said she had been waiting for a specific story that would make returning to the series worthwhile.

The creator and star explained that she struggled for years to imagine the characters in the present day before new ideas emerged around her 40th birthday. She will executive produce the revival alongside Judd Apatow, Ilene S. Landress and Michael P. Cohen. Williams, Kirke, Mamet and Rannells will serve as co-executive producers.

Adam Driver, who portrayed Hannah’s on-and-off boyfriend, is not among the announced returning cast members. Jenni Konner, who co-ran the original series with Dunham, is also not involved in the new project.

HBO comedy programming executive Amy Gravitt said the revival would explore the changes in the characters’ lives since audiences last saw them, while revisiting the personalities that made the original series distinctive.

Girls aired from 2012 to 2017 and followed a group of young women navigating relationships, careers and adulthood in New York City. The series became a prominent part of television discussions about millennial life and earned two Emmy Awards, alongside multiple nominations. Dunham and the show also won Golden Globe Awards for the first season.

HBO has released a promotional video announcing the revival, with further casting and story details yet to be revealed.