Finally, some good news for Heroes Day: The “The Leftovers” reunion has officially started.

For its 2025 event, the ATX TV Festival has announced plans to host the cast and creatives behind the acclaimed HBO drama series. Co-creators Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta will be joined by director and executive producer Mimi Leder and cast members Justin Theroux, Carrie Coon, Amy Brenneman, Christopher Eccleston, Ann Dowd and Kevin Carroll for a panel discussion led by moderator Sarah Aubrey, executive producer of the series and current head of Max Original Programming. According to the ATX release, the group will “reflect on the show’s emotional journey over three seasons, its most memorable moments and enduring themes more than a decade later.”

The Leftovers follows the extended Garvey family three years after a global tragedy when two percent of the world’s population disappeared without a trace on October 14, 2011 (a date later celebrated as Heroes’ Day). Kevin Garvey (Justin Theroux) is the police chief in Mapleton, New York. His ex-wife Laurie (Amy Brenneman) has joined a local cult called The Guilty Remnant, led by Patti Levin (Ann Dowd). Her family friend, Matt Jamison (Christopher Eccleston), is a pastor, and his sister Nora Durst (Carrie Coon) lost her husband and two children during the sudden departure.

Eventually the group finds their way to Jarden, TX, a small town that became a national landmark when the world realized on October 14th that no one had disappeared within the city limits. For production purposes, the real town of Lockhart (30 miles south of Austin) served as the fictional town of “Miracle”. Most of the second season and parts of the third season were filmed in and around the capital of the state of Texas.

“The Leftovers” not only has roots in the hometown of the ATX TV Festival, but is also a recurring presence at the festival itself. Lindelof, Leder, Eccleston, Coon and Dowd all took part in a panel discussion in 2015 that looked back at Season 1 and introduced Season 2, while Lindelof, Leder and Perrotta returned to ATX after the 2017 series finale for one final look back, “The End.” “

While the series struggled to attract general audiences in its first season, increasing critical acclaim and enthusiastic word of mouth helped establish The Leftovers as one of the greatest TV series of all time. As for legacy awards, Carrie Coon won the 2017 TCA Award for Individual Achievement in a Drama Series, Ann Dowd secured the series’ only Emmy nomination for Best Guest Actress that same year, and the WGA Awards nominated “The Leftovers” for each of his three seasons, including the second season classic, “International Assassin,” in the Best Episodic Drama category.

Few dramas have elicited such intense emotional responses from fans, critics and creators, nor have many sought, let alone achieved, the imaginative high points that Lindelof, Perrotta & Co. achieved over three increasingly adventurous seasons. At the premiere, critics noted connections to 9/11. Years after it ended, parallels to the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. Prescient and powerful, “The Leftovers” has already stood the test of time.

Next year, fans old and new will be able to enjoy the masterpiece in person again. The ATX Television Festival will take place in Austin, TX from May 29th to June 1st, 2025. Passes are available now. The first 100 Camp or GP badges purchased with code “ILOVETV” will be $100 off. Check out a special announcement about The Leftovers reunion below.