If you can believe it, nearly 25 years have passed since we first met Lorelai, Rory, Emily, and the rest of the quirky characters in Stars Hollow and beyond in Gilmore Girls. The beloved comedy-drama series celebrates its 25th anniversary in October 2025, and while that surely makes some day-one fans feel a little old, there's going to be an exciting and nostalgic honor in store!
For the first time, a major documentary film will unpack the history and meaning behind Gilmore Girls. As announced on Aug. 25, the documentary Searching for Stars Hollow is currently in development from Ink On Paper Studios by directors Meghna Balakumar and Kevin Konrad Hanna. Not only will the documentary feature interviews from cast and crew members, but it will bring closure.
Naturally, the prospect of the Gilmore Girls documentary got fans super excited to see cast members back and talking about the show. Some on social media even wondered whether the doc could give us some answers, as one fan posted, "I'm still mad they never gave us a proper finale. Maybe this documentary will give us some closure." Of course, they're referring to the revival's final four words.
Responding to the fan's post, co-director Kevin Konrad Hanna said, "It will, I SWEAR IT." What kind of closure could the documentary provide for fans? Could the father of Rory's child finally be revealed and confirmed? According to another social media post from Hanna, that could definitely be something that's discussed in the documentary among the featured cast members.
Searching for Stars Hollow isn't being made by Warner Bros. Entertainment, which owns the show's copyright, or Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino. Currently, Sherman-Palladino isn't among the list of talent that has participated in the project, nor are series leads Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. However, there's still a chance the filmmakers could interview them for the film.
Right now, the documentary features interviews from cast members Kelly Bishop, Keiko Agena, Chad Michael Murray, Jared Padalecki, Sally Struthers, Liz Torres, Emily Kuroda, Rose Abdoo, Kathleen Wilhoite, Matt Jones, and Grant Lee Phillips. Additional interviews include frequent series director Jamie Babbit, writer and producer Stan Zimmerman, casting directors Jami Rudofsky and Mara Casey, and Gilmore Guys podcast host Kevin T. Porter.
Even though the prospect of getting the tea about the paternity of Rory's baby might be exciting, it's probably best to go into the documentary without high expectations about learning about what's next for the characters. This isn't a continuation. Nothing has been written or acted. For all intents and purposes, the story ended as Sherman-Palladino intended with A Year in the Life.
It will be a bonus to hear where certain cast members believe the characters will be, but Searching for Stars Hollow will be more of a celebration of one of the most popular and adored television series of the 2000s. There's a reason the show became even more popular post-cancellation and endures both on the charts and in our hearts, and that's what the doc will explore.
While Searching for Stars Hollow doesn't have a release date or a distributor at the moment, the filmmakers have created a Kickstarter page for fans to keep up to date with all of the latest announcements regarding the doc and its release. For now, dive back into a rewatch of the hit series on Netflix in celebration of the 25th anniversary and get ready for the documentary!