Sarah Michelle Gellar revealed on Instagram that the reboot of buffy the vampire slayer will not be moving forward at Hulu, saying the streamer had decided not to proceed with the project and thanking director Chloé Zhao for her involvement.
What Gellar Announced and How the Decision Was Worded
Gellar posted a video message in which she said she was “really sad to have to share this” and that Hulu had decided not to move forward with the revival, named in coverage as New Sunnydale. She thanked Chloé Zhao for bringing her back into the role’s wardrobe and closed her message with a lighthearted line that if “the apocalypse actually comes, you can still beep me. ” The actress had been attached to reprise Buffy in a recurring capacity while the series was planned to introduce a new Slayer.
What the New Pilot Included and Who Was Attached
The project, referenced as Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale in some accounts, would have starred Ryan Kiera Armstrong as the next Slayer, with Gellar returning in a recurring role. Chloé Zhao was set to direct and executive produce, while Nora Zuckerman and Lila Zuckerman were attached to write, showrun and executive produce. Executive producers named for the project included Gail Berman, Fran Kuzui, Kaz Kuzui and Dolly Parton.
The pilot’s cast list also 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. Production on the pilot took place last August with Zhao directing.
Why Hulu Passed And What Comes Next
Coverage of the pilot noted it was “not perfect” and that a rework had been considered before the decision to scrap the project. A source close to the show indicated there remains “a lot of love” for the franchise and that the door is still open for future incarnations on the property. For now, Hulu has opted not to move forward with this iteration.
The cancellation marks a halt to this specific revival plan but does not close the possibility of further development of the buffy the vampire slayer franchise under different creative approaches or at other distributors. Gellar’s public message framed the outcome as disappointing but affectionate toward the character and the team involved.
