Fans were left confused after news broke that Gilmore Girls would return to our screens in a celebration of the show's 25th anniversary, with a documentary set to explore the making of the cult classic. The project will be directed by Meghna Balakumar and Kevin Konrad Hanna, and will welcome back fan-favorite actors from the series, including Kelly Bishop (Emily Gilmore), Jared Padalecki (Dean Forester) and Chad Michael Murray (Tristan Dugray). The documentary, titled Searching For Stars Hollow, will also have appearances from Keiko Agena (Lane Kim), Liz Torres (Miss Patty), and Sally Struthers (Babette Dell), amongst others.
Missing in action
Despite this good news, fans were disappointed over the fact that the show's main characters and creators were unlikely to join their cast members on the project. Lauren Graham, who starred as Lorelai Gilmore in the '00s show, has not been confirmed to appear in the documentary. The series follows Lorelai, a single mother, as she raises her teenage daughter, Rory (played by Alexis Bledel), in the sleepy town of Stars Hollow. Together, the duo navigate issues with family, class, relationships and each other.
Alexis is also not confirmed to appear in the documentary, nor is Scott Patterson, who portrayed Lorelai's onscreen love interest, Luke Danes. Gilmore Girls creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and her husband, Daniel Palladino, are also absent from the project. Fans shared their feelings about their absence on X, with one writing, "Searching for Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Scott Patterson, Milo Ventimiglia, Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino," while another added, "25 years later…still no Rory/Lorelai reunion? Bold move."
"Someone should make a documentary called Searching for Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel because we NEED them in this," another chimed in, with a fourth commenting, "But the main characters aren't in it?"
Back to the beginning
The documentary will examine "the beloved show's role in American cultural history," and will feature interviews with the cast and crew, as well as behind-the-scenes insight into the making of Gilmore Girls, as per a press release. "The interviews that we've already conducted with the cast have been a delight," said Meghna in a statement. "We've shot more than 100 hours of footage and have already unearthed stories, commentary, critiques, and more. And we're continuing to shoot more interviews in the coming months to present the most complete, full and truly new story of the show's impact and legacy that is only possible at this historical moment."
Producer Jim Demonakos added: "Searching For Stars Hollow will reveal how Gilmore Girls came to life, why it continues to resonate across generations, and how its unique blend of humor, heart and pop culture shaped a devoted worldwide fan community with an in-depth look at its creation and the connections it continues to foster. This documentary is for fans of the show but also for anyone with an interest in cultural history and how it affects individual lives."
The show, which ran from 2000 to 2007, released a revival on Netflix in 2016 titled Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, which explored how the lives of each character had changed almost a decade on from the ending. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Scott shared that a yearly reunion is something that he would love to do after appearing in the revival.
"It'd be nice to do it every year. Maybe every two years, do a three-month thing, do four more chapters. It was easy to do," he said. "It was really rewarding and people got a sense that, if this was going to be the last thing, that we now have some closure." The release date for Searching For Stars Hollow is yet to be announced.