Gossip Girl, your one and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan’s elite, is back with a vengeance. The CW sensation from the late aughts will be updated for HBO Max, and producer Joshua Safran tweeted about finishing the pilot yesterday. The Illuminerdi also received some intel on the characters at the center of the story – but given the recency of the script, things are subject to change.

Lest anyone fear it will be as lily white as the original, he already confirmed there would be racial and sexual diversity in the reboot. Not to mention that he proved he could pull off a show with a non-white lead thanks to Quantico, while fellow producers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage have also become more inclusive with Marvel’s Runaways.

Soon we’ll be back at Constance Billard.

One good thing about having the same triumvirate as the previous program is that the feeling of an expanded universe will be more seamless – we’re sure to hear what Chuck, Blair, Serena and Dan have been up to. But another, perhaps more important one, is that the writers can grow from past choices; something we’re already seeing with the possibility of more diversity.

Now, onto the reason we have gathered here: what will this version of Gossip Girl be like and what kinds of characters will populate it? It’s important to note that HBO Max obviously allows for racier content – although the OG show pushed plenty of boundaries in its time – and thus all actors must be over 18. Furthermore, there is indeed a specification for diversity in several of the descriptions, so it sounds like the powers that be will be following through on their promise.

If you’re ready for a breakdown of characters you can expect to see in Gossip Girl, proceed to the next page.