'New Girl' reunion is not happening, Liz Meriwether confirms
A New Girl reunion is not happening anytime soon, creator Liz Meriwether told Variety — directly contradicting co-star Max Greenfield, who said he had read "amazing" scripts for a revival. Meriwether insisted, "There are no scripts," and suggested the cast's playful online back-and-forth may be reunion enough for now.
Fans hoping for a full-series return of the beloved Fox sitcom got a clear answer this week. Meriwether's statement makes clear the new girl reunion not moving forward comes straight from the show's architect, not from rumor mills or wishful casting chatter.
Key Takeaways
- Liz Meriwether says no New Girl reunion scripts exist, despite Max Greenfield's July claims.
- Greenfield later clarified with Variety that the cast will reunite Oct. 10 at the Chrysalis Butterfly Ball for the Rising Phoenix Award.
- Meriwether is focused on Furious and adapting Britney Spears's memoir The Woman in Me for film.
- The original series ran seven seasons on Fox from 2011 to 2018.
- Meriwether joked on Instagram that cast notes derailed her imaginary reunion scripts.
Why did Liz Meriwether say there are no reunion scripts?
Meriwether spoke to Variety at the Season 1 finale screening of her latest series, Furious, on Thursday night at the DGA in West Hollywood. When asked about a New Girl revival, she was blunt: "There are no scripts."
She added that she does not even have scripts finished for projects already on her plate. Among those is a film adaptation of Britney Spears's memoir The Woman in Me, directed by Jon M. Chu and produced by Marc Platt. Meriwether told Variety she has not yet met Spears but would love to.
What did Max Greenfield say about a 'New Girl' reunion?
The speculation started in late July when Greenfield, who played Schmidt, appeared on Today with Jenna & Sheinelle. "As far as I know, it's happening," he said. "I've seen scripts, they're amazing."
Meriwether responded with a tongue-in-cheek Instagram video. She joked that the scripts were strong until every cast member weighed in with notes. The bit fueled more fan debate — but Meriwether's latest comments shut down any notion of a scripted revival in production.
Greenfield eventually walked back the impression of a full show comeback in an exclusive conversation with Variety. He noted the cast — Zooey Deschanel, Jake Johnson, Lamorne Morris, Hannah Simone, and Damon Wayans Jr. — will reunite publicly at the Chrysalis Butterfly Ball in Los Angeles on Oct. 10. Greenfield hosts the gala, where the series will receive the Rising Phoenix Award for its theme of starting over.
Is any kind of 'New Girl' reunion still happening?
Not on screen — at least not yet. Meriwether told Variety she has been enjoying the "back and forth" with the cast online. "Maybe in the world of the internet… maybe the show is just this, these little videos, maybe that's the reunion," she said.
For viewers tracking revival rumors across streaming and broadcast, this is one of the year's clearest shutdowns from a creator with final say. Keep up with similar updates in our Streaming & TV Alerts hub.
What is Liz Meriwether working on instead?
Beyond Furious, Meriwether is shifting from serialized TV to a two-hour film structure for the Spears biopic. She told Variety it has been years since she wrote a movie, and the scale is a creative adjustment after years of eight-hour storytelling.
New Girl ended in 2018 after seven seasons. For now, fans will have to settle for award-show appearances, social media banter, and Meriwether's new projects — not new episodes with Jess Day and the loft gang.