In one of the more surprising turns of events, the much-hyped reboot of the cult classic 1990s series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is no longer going forward at Hulu. Tentatively titled "Buffy: New Sunnydale", the new series was picked up for a pilot in February 2025, but the streamer has now decided to exit the project after reportedly being unsatisfied with how it was turning out. There had been talk about reworking the pilot, but in the end, Hulu opted not to proceed with it.
The pilot episode was directed by Oscar winner Chloe Zhao ("Nomadland", "Eternals", "Hamnet"), a self-professed lifelong fan of the original "Buffy" series, from a script by Nora and Lilla Zuckerman ("Poker Face"). Zhao was also an executive producer. Ryan Kiera Armstrong was set to star as the new slayer. The cast also included Faly Rakotohavana, Ava Jean, Sarah Bock, Daniel di Tomasso and Jack Cutmore-Scott. Original series creator Joss Whedon was not involved. The reboot was produced by 20th Television and Searchlight TV.
Sarah Michelle Gellar, who was set to star in and executive produce the reboot, broke the news via Instagram: "I want to thank Chloé Zhao because I never thought I would find myself back in Buffy's stylish yet affordable boots. And thanks to Chloé, I was reminded how much I love her and how much she means, not only to me, but to all of you. This doesn’t change any of that, and I promise if the apocalypse actually comes… you can still beep me."
The actress was surprised by the decision, and in a recent interview she also revealed that she received the call with the news right before she was about to take the stage at the SXSW Film & TV Festival to debut "Ready or Not 2: Here I Come" on March 11: "Let me tell you, nobody saw this coming. No one saw this coming, including the head of Searchlight. I got the call as we were stepping onto stage for the premiere of their own movie. And it's also the weekend of Chloé [Zhao] going to the Oscars as a best director nominee for Hamnet. For them to call us on the Friday of what should have been Chloé's victory lap for an incredible film, and my world premiere of something that I worked very hard for is… That says something".
Gellar also continued by saying that the reboot was killed by one executive: "We had an executive on our show who was not only not a fan of the original, but was proud to constantly remind us that he had never seen the entirety of the series and how it wasn't for him. That's very hard when you're taking a property that is as beloved as Buffy, not just to the world, but to me and Chloé. So that tells you the uphill battle that we had been fighting since day one, when your executive is literally proud to tell you that he didn't watch it."
Chloé Zhao has also spoken out on the subject while on the Oscars red carpet: "I had an incredible, incredible time with Sarah [Michelle Gellar], with all the cast and crew doing this. And we, first and foremost, see ourselves as the guardians of the original show. Our priority for Sarah and for us has always been to be truthful to the show, to be truthful to our fans. So, things happen for a reason, and we keep our hearts open and we welcome the mystery. And what this might lead us to."
While the reboot is not moving forward, the streamer admits that there is still a lot of love for Buffy, and it will still consider another take on the Buffy IP within the next couple of years: "Basically, the door is still open".
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