‘Girls’ Revival Took Years to Take Shape Before Dunham’s HBO Pitch

WHO:

Deadline - Zosia Mamet played Shoshanna Shapiro in *Girls*, the HBO comedy created by Lena Dunham.

Deadline - The reported revival involves Lena Dunham and a five-episode project.

Coming Soon - Lena Dunham discussed the revival with Allison Williams before reportedly approaching HBO.

Variety - Lena Dunham and Allison Williams discussed *Girls* at a conversation held at a Swarovski store in New York City.

WHAT:

Deadline - Mamet said the revival had been “in talks for a very long time” and that she “kind of gave up” on the prospect of it happening.

Deadline - The announced *Girls* revival is a five-episode project.

Coming Soon - According to a Variety report, Dunham initially did not speak with HBO about reviving *Girls*; she first discussed the idea with Williams.

Variety - Dunham said she and Williams were still getting used to people liking *Girls*: “We are not used to the way people feel about the show now” and “It’s a daily surprise.”

Variety - Dunham said audiences were “angrier at us for giving handjobs on TV than they were at Walter White or Tony Soprano.”

Variety - *Girls* premiered in 2012.

WHERE:

Variety - Dunham and Williams’s conversation took place at a Swarovski store in New York City.

WHEN:

Deadline - Mamet’s comments described a revival that had been in development for “a very long time”; she had nearly given up on it.

Deadline - The article described Mamet as having last played Shoshanna nearly 10 years earlier.

WHY:

HOW:

Coming Soon - Dunham’s reported approach to developing the revival began with a discussion with Allison Williams before a conversation with HBO.

(UPDATED November 14, 2026 04:58 UTC)

A five-episode revival of HBO’s Girls is in the works, after years of uncertainty. Zosia Mamet, who played Shoshanna, said she had nearly given up on its return. Lena Dunham first discussed reviving the series with co-star Allison Williams, before approaching HBO.