Alia Shawkat Says She Is Trying to Bring ‘State of Grace’ Back as a Streaming Reunion With Mae Whitman

Alia Shawkat said she is “actively trying” to bring State of Grace to streaming, and she hopes to do so with a reunion involving her co-star Mae Whitman. The comments, reported by Deadline on Aug. 12, came as Shawkat discussed the possibility of revisiting the project roughly 25 years after it debuted, when the two actors first shared a starring role in the Fox-era film.

Shawkat did not provide details about what a State of Grace streaming release or reunion would look like, including whether it would involve new scenes, a new version of the original material, or simply a renewed push for distribution. She framed the effort as an ongoing attempt, stating she is “trying actively” to make something happen, but stopped short of outlining specific logistics or partners.

Deadline’s report places the project within the context of Shawkat and Whitman’s early screen careers and highlights that the two actors would be returning to material associated with the 2001-2002 period. That timing matters for audiences because State of Grace arrived at a moment when teen and young-adult programming was expanding across broadcast and early cable, and it later became a reference point for viewers who followed both performers into longer-form careers.

For Shawkat, the renewed focus on the title aligns with her broader public presence across screen projects, where she has continued to balance comedy and drama work. For Whitman, the prospect of a reunion taps into a long-running audience familiarity with her earlier breakthrough roles, though the report does not state whether Whitman has agreed to any specific format or timeline for a collaboration.

The report also does not identify which streaming platform, production company, or rights holder would be involved in bringing State of Grace back. Without those details, any implications about distribution are limited to what Shawkat suggested publicly: that she wants the title to be accessible again and that a joint appearance with Whitman would be a central component of the effort.

A streaming revival or reunion carries practical questions that the report does not resolve, including the state of existing distribution rights, whether additional contracts would be required for any new content, and how much audience demand could be translated into a production or licensing decision. In the absence of named partners or confirmed deliverables, the most concrete point is that Shawkat has indicated active outreach rather than a finalized production plan.

As of publication, there is no announcement of a release date, platform, or creative scope for State of Grace’s return to streaming. If the effort advances, the next steps would likely include confirming rights and participation, determining whether any new material is needed, and negotiating distribution terms that align with what streaming services can license and what actors’ schedules allow.