‘Buffy’ Revival Not Moving Forward at Hulu, Says Sarah Michelle Gellar
Hulu has decided not to move forward with its Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot, which was set to star and be executive produced by Sarah Michelle Gellar. The actress shared the news with fans in an Instagram post Saturday morning.
The news comes a year after the streamer ordered a pilot for the project, tentatively titled Buffy: New Sunnydale, with Oscar winner Chloé Zhao, a self-professed lifelong Buffy fan, directing from a script written by Nora and Lilla Zuckerman (Poker Face), notes Deadline.
The decision follows weeks of speculation about the fate of the pilot. Says the site, sources described it as “not perfect,” noting the Zhao’s sensibility may not have been the perfect match for the reboot.
An insider also posted on X that there had been speculation it wasn’t in the pilot’s best interest for Gellar to be absent for most of the episode, only to appear in the final minutes.
There had been talk about reworking the pilot as recently as earlier this week. In the end, Hulu opted not to proceed with it but remains high on the Buffy IP and plans to regroup and mull a possible new incarnation of the beloved franchise.
In her IG video, the actress said that she was “really sad” to share the news of the project’s demise with her fans.
“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,” Gellar said in the video, which you can watch below. “This doesn’t change any of that, and I promise if the apocalypse actually comes… you can still beep me.”
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