Today, Hulu announced it is driving a stake through the heart of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans by not giving the long-awaited reboot a green light. The unfortunate news comes from Buffy star and executive producer Sarah Michelle Gellar, who broke the news to fans via Instagram on Saturday morning.
Interestingly, the pilot, helmed by Chloé Zhao, director of Hamnet and Nomadland, did not pass the sniff test at Hulu. Sources close to the matter say the pilot was “not perfect,” noting that Zhao – despite being a self-proclaimed life-long Buffy fan – might not be the best fit for the vampire-slaying drama. Sources say there were talks about reworking the pilot, but after much consideration, Hulu decided to pass on the project. However, all is not lost! Hulu remains excited about the Buffy IP and plans to regroup on how to approach new additions to the fan-favorite franchise.
UPDATE: The show, titled Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale, would have seen Buffy sharing the screen with a new teenage vampire slayer, played by Ryan Kiera Armstrong. Armstrong shared an image of her slayer character:
In early 2023, Gellar said she had no interest in ever playing Buffy again. She told SFX magazine, “I am very proud of the show that we created and it doesn’t need to be done. We wrapped that up. I am all for them continuing the story, because there’s the story of female empowerment. I love the way the show was left: ‘Every girl who has the power can have the power.’ It’s set up perfectly for someone else to have the power. But like I said, the metaphors of Buddy were the horrors of adolescence. I think I look young, but I am not an adolescent.”
But by the end of 2024, she had changed her mind. Appearing on The Drew Barrymore Show (via Deadline), she had this to say about resurrecting Buffy: “It’s funny, I always used to say no, because it’s in its bubble and it’s so perfect. But watching Sex and the City and seeing Dexter, and realizing there are ways to do it, definitely does get your mind thinking, ‘Well, maybe.'”
Welp, this is a bummer. I was interested in checking out Hulu’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot, especially with Chloé Zhao at the helm. I understand how Zhao might not have been the best choice to approach the beloved IP, but damn, I like her style a lot. Maybe the pilot will leak, and we’ll get to judge for ourselves. Who do you think should direct another attempt at rebooting the Buffyverse? Let us know in the comments section below.
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