Fans of the Fox sitcom New Girl have been hoping for years to see the loft gang back together. That hope got a major boost recently when actor Jake Johnson shared new details about a possible reunion. Speaking at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, Johnson revealed that the cast has been talking about getting the show back together. He also dropped a funny reason why it hasn’t happened yet.
The comedy ran for seven seasons from 2011 to 2018 and followed teacher Jessica Day (Zooey Deschanel) and her roommates Nick Miller (Johnson), Schmidt (Max Greenfield), and Winston Bishop (Lamorne Morris). The show found a massive new audience on streaming platforms like Netflix in recent years. This new wave of popularity has made fans even more vocal about wanting a reunion or revival.
What Jake Johnson Said About The Reunion Plans
Johnson was walking the red carpet at SXSW for his new movie The Sun Never Sets when a reporter from FOX 7 Austin asked him about a potential New Girl reunion. His answer gave fans the clearest update yet on where things stand .
According to Johnson, the cast was close to making something happen. He said they had a plan to shoot what he described as a “potentially a big long episode” that would air on FOX, the network where the show originally aired. Everyone was excited and ready to move forward.
But then came the snag.
Johnson revealed that Lamorne Morris said no to the idea. He explained that Morris “literally just passed literally as of this morning on the ‘New Girl’ reunion” . The news came as a surprise to the other cast members who thought they had everything worked out.
In typical New Girl fashion, Johnson delivered the news with a mix of honesty and playful teasing aimed at his friend and former co-star.
The ‘Emmy Curse’ And Friendly Jabs
While talking at the SXSW Studio, Johnson expanded on why he thinks Morris might be holding out. He joked that Morris has become “too talented” for the rest of the cast now . The reason? Morris won an Emmy Award in 2024 for his role in the fifth season of the FX series Fargo.
Johnson humorously claimed the award has changed his friend.
“We’re all in besides Lamorne. Because he got an Emmy and he thinks they’re better than us,” Johnson said. He even added fake quotes from Morris, saying the actor told them, “I’m too talented and too funny to be on a sitcom with you, hacks” .
The playful attack didn’t stop there. Johnson continued the bit by addressing Morris directly.
“The Emmy went to his head, I’m going to say that really clearly. It changed you, my man, but come back to the real you,” Johnson said . He also claimed to have spoken to Morris’s family about the situation.
Johnson then called on fans to help pressure his former co-star. He encouraged New Girl fans to message Morris on social media.
“By the way, we’re with the fans. All the fans want it too, write to Lamorne on Instagram. Because he doesn’t want it. He doesn’t like the fans!” Johnson joked .
The Cast Keeps In Touch
Despite the jokes about Morris being the holdout, the real story is that the cast remains very close. They have maintained their friendships long after the show ended.
Max Greenfield recently spoke to People magazine about how the cast still connects regularly. He said the chemistry they built during the show’s run is still there whenever they get together .
“If you put us together in any circumstance, we go right back,” Greenfield said. “It’s really scary” .
Greenfield also revealed that he texts with Johnson often. “We all keep in touch in a really beautiful way,” he said. “I was texting with Jake this morning” .
The actors clearly enjoy spending time together. Greenfield shared a funny story about being on a plane with Johnson. He admitted that he sometimes falls back into his Schmidt personality around his friend. He recalled organizing Johnson’s food on the flight, which prompted Johnson to remind him, “We’re not on the show anymore” .
Greenfield also said he would be happy to return to the role of Schmidt. But he wants the original writers to come up with the story.
“For sure, it would always be fun to jump back in,” Greenfield told People. “I would always just be really excited to see what the writers thought — where they think Schmidt would be — and then I’d jump in and do whatever that was” .
It’s All Part Of A Long-Running Joke
For fans worried that Morris might actually be against a reunion, there is good reason to relax. This back-and-forth is part of a long-running joke between the co-stars.
In 2024, Morris was saying the exact same thing about Johnson. At that time, Morris claimed that Johnson was the one blocking a reunion. He told reporters that Johnson was too busy with other projects to commit to bringing the show back .
Morris even joked back then that “Jake Johnson hates the fans” for not making time for a reunion . The two actors have a history of playful public pranks on each other. Johnson even mentioned that Morris has a small role in his new movie The Sun Never Sets, proving they are still working together.
Fans of the show recognize this behavior as classic “mess around” behavior, a term the characters often used on the show. The comments section on entertainment news sites filled with reactions from fans who understood the joke.
One fan commented, “Listen to the podcast that Jake Johnson has with Gareth Reynolds, ‘We’re Here to Help’; LaMorne guests on one or two occasions and they give each other endless hell just like this every time” . Another fan added, “This is obviously a bit, for those who need to be told”.
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What Would A Reunion Look Like?
If the cast does manage to get everyone on board, fans are curious about what form a reunion would take. Johnson mentioned that the recent plan involved a “big long episode” that could air on FOX . This suggests the team is thinking about a one-time special rather than a full season revival.
The show ended with a satisfying finale in 2018. Nick and Jess were married and expecting a child. Schmidt and Cece were raising their daughter Ruth. Winston had married his partner Aly (Nasim Pedrad) and they were also starting a family.
A reunion episode would need to check in on these characters years later. Fans would likely want to see how Nick is handling fatherhood. They would want to see if Schmidt is still as obsessive about organization as ever. And of course, they would want to see what kind of chaos Winston brings to the group after all these years.
The show’s availability on Netflix has introduced it to a whole new generation of viewers. This streaming success is a big reason why talk of a reunion keeps coming up. The show consistently ranks as one of the most-watched acquired series on the platform.
Zooey Deschanel and Max Greenfield reunited publicly in 2025 to present at an awards show. They used the opportunity to joke about Morris being too busy to join them . These public moments keep hope alive that a full cast reunion is possible.
The cast also came together in 2020 for a virtual reunion video. That project was aimed at encouraging voter turnout. It marked the first time the main cast appeared together since the show ended.
For now, fans will have to wait and see if Lamorne Morris officially agrees to the project. If his past jokes about Johnson are any indication, he will likely have a funny response ready. And if the two actors keep their sense of humor, the public back-and-forth might be the best promotion a potential reunion could ask for.
The entire series of New Girl is currently available to stream on Netflix and streaming on Peacock in the United States. For viewers in the United Kingdom, the show can be streamed on Disney+ and Channel 4’s streaming service. Fans in Canada can watch all seasons on Amazon Prime Video and CTV. Australian viewers can find the series streaming on Disney+ and Stan. Indian audiences can stream New Girl on Disney+ Hotstar. This global availability continues to grow the show’s fanbase and keeps the demand for a reunion strong.
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