HBO Max: 3 reboots to get excited about including Grease: Rydell High

HBO Max is bringing back some beloved characters with three reboots

HBO Max recently launched with enough entertainment to keep even the choosiest viewers occupied, but what’s around the corner may draw in more subscribers.

With series orders for Practical Magic: Rules of Magic, Grease: Rydell High, and Gossip Girl, the new streaming platform is appealing to fans of the originals as well as fans of magic, music, and teen dramas.

Practical Magic: Rules of Magic

Based on the 1998 movie starring Sandra Bullock as Sally Owens and Nicole Kidman as Gillian Owens, Practical Magic: Rules of Magic will be set in 1960s New York and will focus on the early years of Franny, who was portrayed by Stockard Channing in the movie, Jet, portrayed by Dianne Wiest, and their brother Vincent.

According to an early synopsis, the aunts will just now be discovering their ancestry.

"Tumultuous times unearth the extraordinary discovery that they are, in fact, descendants of a bloodline of witches. In their aspirational journey towards self-discovery and self-acceptance, they’ll contend with grief, war, bigotry and dark magic, not to mention a centuries-old curse designed to keep them away from love.The two sisters, Franny and Jet, will become the revered, and sometimes feared, aunts in Practical Magic, while their beloved brother Vincent will leave an unexpected legacy."

Combine the popularity of the movie, which has become a cult classic, with the ongoing fascination with magic, and this may very well be a recipe for success.

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Grease: Rydell High

This reboot doesn’t need an introduction, but it’s based on the 1978 musical, Grease. The series will be set in the 1950s, and though no actors have been cast yet, producers have indicated that both new and familiar names will appear.

The series will be a musical, and Hollywood Reporter says “It will explore the peer pressures of high school, the horrors of puberty and life in middle America with a modern sensibility.” It sounds like viewers will get more stories that take place inside homes rather than just at the high school.

Though some fans of the original movie might be a little concerned about this reboot, the head of content at HBO Max, Sarah Aubrey, describes the series as “Grease 2.0 but with the same spirit, energy, and excitement you immediately think of when you hear any of these iconic songs. You’re the One That I Want!”

Gossip Girl

The original series ran for six seasons and ended in 2012, which makes this a fast turnaround for a reboot. Focusing on affluent teens who resided in New York’s Upper East Side, Gossip Girl was a hit for The CW, racking up 18 Teen Choice Awards.

The reboot will star a new cast in what is being called a shared universe. So it’s not likely that any of the original cast members will appear, but Kristen Bell will reprise her role at the narrator known as “Gossip Girl.”

Due to its economic impact on the city, Gossip Girl’s 100th episode on January 26, 2012, was proclaimed Gossip Girl Day by Mayor Bloomberg. The series regularly attracted visitors to New York City, and Mayor Bloomberg called it “a real landmark.”

New York City’s tourism industry has taken a hit due to COVID-19 so a series like this could be the shot in the arm it needs to regain its footing in the future once restrictions are lifted.

These series are still in development, and there is no word on release dates yet. Still, viewers can look forward to returning to some of their favorite times in the past.

Which series are you most looking forward to? Share your thoughts in the comments below.