LOS ANGELES — The end of “Girls” is in the distant future.
The Lena Dunham series will wrap up after its sixth season, Variety has confirmed. The news comes before the comedy even enters its fifth season, which premieres in February, so there are still two full rounds of the series to come.
Although HBO declined to comment on the show’s fate, sources tell Variety the official announcement is expected to come this week at the network’s Television Critics Association press tour day Thursday.
“Girls” ending — reported by E! Online — comes as little surprise, as creator and star Dunham has commented on the ending of her show much in the past. It’s been widely reported that HBO President Michael Lombardo has spoken with Dunham about doing six seasons of “Girls,” and she previously spoke to Variety about not wanting to overstay the show’s welcome on television.
“I think America has a tendency to push shows past their due dates,” Dunham said early last year. “I like the British model — in and out.”
Dunham also explained she has thought about the series’ final episode long ago. “We spent a lot of time talking about where these girls will end up. We definitely have a distinct idea of where we want to see them. I even sometimes focus on this final image that I see, but between now and then anything can happen.”
Along with Dunham, “Girls” stars Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke and Zosia Mamet star as the main foursome. “Star Wars” villain Adam Driver also stars, along with Alex Karpovsky and Andrew Rannells.
Debuting in April 2012, the show launched Dunham into super-stardom, becoming known as multitalented young creator writing as “the voice of her generation” — to quote her character Hannah Horvath. Though “Girls” hasn’t pulled in big numbers for recent seasons, the show brought much critical acclaim and buzz to HBO, especially in its heyday, along with social media attention from a younger demo.
In its first season, “Girls” was nominated for outstanding comedy at the Emmys, and Dunham racked up nominations for lead comedy actress, director and writer. The series won for best comedy and actress (Dunham) at the Golden Globes in 2013 and since Dunham and also Driver have been nominated for numerous awards.
When the series wraps, Dunham may still be in business with HBO, as she has a pilot in the works with the cabler. Titled “Max,” the half-hour comedy will be directed by Dunham, and executive produced by her and much of the “Girls” team, including creator Murray Miller, who’s a writer/producer on “Girls,” plus Jenni Konner and Ilene Landress.
Set in the magazine world of the 1960s, the pilot revolves around the stirrings of second-wave feminism, as seen through the eyes of an ambitious magazine writer who stumbles her way into the women’s movement. Though “Girls” will end after Season 6, Dunham has teased the possibility of a movie follow-up to the comedy — though probably not anytime soon.
When she was honored as one of Variety’s Power of Women honorees last year, Dunham told Variety, “I have fantasies of us all coming back and making a movie when we’re 40. I think we’d want to wait long enough for something to have really gone down.”