Sarah Michelle Gellar Addresses Buffy Vampire Slayer Reboot After Hulu Passes
Sarah Michelle Gellar announced on Instagram that the planned reboot of buffy vampire slayer is not moving forward at Hulu, calling the news “really sad” and thanking collaborators who had been attached to the project.
Buffy Vampire Slayer Reboot Canceled at Hulu, Gellar Says
Gellar said in her video message, “I am really sad to have to share this, but I wanted you all to hear it from me. Unfortunately, Hulu has decided not to move forward with ‘Buffy: New Sunnydale. ‘” She used the post to express gratitude to director Chloé Zhao, saying she never expected to find herself back in “Buffy’s stylish yet affordable boots” and that Zhao reminded her how much she loves the character.
Gellar closed her message with a lighthearted line about her continued connection to the role: “if the apocalypse actually comes, you can still beep me. ” The announcement confirms that the pilot order previously in development at Hulu will not move forward at the streamer.
What Gellar Shared And Who Was Attached
The project had been titled “Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale” and was first announced earlier as a pilot order at Hulu. Chloé Zhao had been set to direct and executive-produce, with the series set up at 20th Television and Searchlight Television. Ryan Kiera Armstrong was cast as the new slayer and Gellar had been expected to reprise Buffy in a recurring capacity.
Other cast members who appeared in the pilot included Faly Rakotohavana as Hugo, Ava Jean as Larkin, Sarah Bock as Gracie, Daniel di Tomasso as Abe and Jack Cutmore-Scott as Mr. Burke. Nora Zuckerman and Lila Zuckerman were attached to write, showrun and executive-produce, with executive producers also listed as Gellar, Gail Berman, Fran Kuzui, Kaz Kuzui and Dolly Parton. The original series creator, Joss Whedon, was not involved in the reboot.
Franchise Context And What’s Next
Gellar’s announcement comes after the pilot was in active development; the cancellation stops the New Sunnydale iteration at Hulu but does not close the door on the property. A source close to the show indicated there is “a lot of love” for “Buffy, ” and that the streamer will still consider future iterations on the IP: “Basically, the door is still open. ” The setback means the buffy vampire slayer project will not proceed at Hulu for now, while those attached and fans await whether the concept or other approaches will be revisited.
Gellar’s message also referenced the long-running history of the character: the property began as a 1992 film directed by Fran Kuzui and written by Whedon, with Kristy Swanson starring, and later became a television series starring Gellar that ran for seven seasons. The prior series spawned a spinoff led by David Boreanaz that ran for five seasons.
With the pilot no longer moving forward at Hulu, the immediate next steps are unclear, but the statement that the door remains open suggests rights holders and the streamer may revisit the franchise in other forms or at a later date.
