Hulu Buffy The Vampire Slayer Reboot Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar Not Going Forward
Hulu has opted not to proceed with the Hulu Buffy The Vampire Slayer Reboot starring and executive produced by Sarah Michelle Gellar, the actress announced on Instagram Saturday morning. The decision follows weeks of uncertainty about a pilot ordered last year and recent conversations about reworking the episode.
Hulu Buffy The Vampire Slayer Reboot Canceled
The pilot, tentatively titled Buffy: New Sunnydale, will not move forward after the streamer chose not to pick up the project. The pilot had been directed by Chloé Zhao from a script by Nora and Lilla Zuckerman and had generated public speculation about its future in recent weeks. Some described the pilot as “not perfect, ” and discussions about reworking the initial episode continued as late as earlier this week before the decision was made.
Why The Pilot Was Abandoned
Creative misalignment was flagged as a central reason for abandoning the pilot. Observers noted that the director’s sensibility may not have been the ideal match for this incarnation of the franchise. The director is currently receiving strong critical attention for a recent film that earned multiple Oscar nominations, and there was internal conversation about how that sensibility translated to the Buffy material. There had been active talk about reworking the pilot shortly before the decision to halt the project was finalized.
Cast, Credits, Reaction And Next Steps
Sarah Michelle Gellar had signed on to reprise her signature role as Buffy Summers and served as an executive producer. The pilot cast Ryan Kiera Armstrong as the new slayer opposite Gellar, with series regulars including Faly Rakotohavana, Ava Jean, Sarah Bock, Daniel Di Tomasso and Jack Cutmore-Scott; Chase Sui Wonders was attached as a guest star. The reboot was produced by 20th Television and Searchlight TV.
Gellar was notified of the decision Friday night, and the news came as a surprise to her. She had been in Austin, TX for the SXSW premiere of her new movie, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, which took place Friday afternoon and where she discussed her excitement about returning to the role. In her Instagram video announcing the cancellation she said she was “really sad” to share the news, thanked Chloé Zhao for reminding her how much the character means, and added that the development did not change her affection for the role.
The director previously worked on a high-profile genre project based on established intellectual property that underperformed with critics and in the boxoffice. Despite the pilot’s cancellation, the streamer remains interested in the property and plans to regroup and consider potential new approaches to the franchise.
The immediate outcome is that the Buffy continuation in this form will not proceed, while the creative teams and the platform weigh alternative paths forward for the franchise.
