Sarah Michelle Gellar Confirms Buffy The Vampire Slayer Reboot Is Not Moving Forward at Hulu
Sarah Michelle Gellar announced Saturday morning that the Buffy The Vampire Slayer Reboot — a continuation project that had been in development since February 2025 — will not be moving forward at Hulu. The actress said she wanted fans to hear the news from her and thanked the director attached to the project for the opportunity to return to the role.
Where the Buffy The Vampire Slayer Reboot Stood
The project, described as Buffy: New Sunnydale, had been in development since February 2025 and was a collaboration from 20th Television and Searchlight TV. Oscar winner Chloé Zhao had been attached to direct, with a script written by Nora and Lilla Zuckerman. The planned story was to follow a younger Slayer played by Ryan Kiera Armstrong, while Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Buffy Summers would return to star and serve as an executive producer.
Series regulars that had been announced 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. The project was positioned as a continuation set in Sunnydale rather than a direct remake.
Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Instagram Announcement
Gellar took to Instagram Saturday morning to share the news directly with fans. In a video message she said, “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 thanked Chloé Zhao by name, saying she never thought she would find herself back in Buffy’s “stylish yet affordable boots, ” and added that Zhao reminded her “how much I love her and how much she means not only to me but to all of you. ” Gellar closed the message on a lighter note: “This doesn’t change any of that, and I promise if the apocalypse actually comes, you can still beep me. “
Next Steps, Studio Positioning and the Franchise’s Legacy
Hulu is still mulling over next steps and is leaving the door open for future possibilities. The planned director, Chloé Zhao, is noted as an Oscar winner, and the project had garnered attention for bringing together the original series lead with a younger generation of actors.
The original Buffy series first debuted in 1997 and ran for seven seasons on The WB. That run also spawned the spinoff Angel, which ran from 1999 to 2004. With the new project now halted at Hulu, the immediate future of the Buffy continuation is unclear, though the production partners and the returning star had positioned the series as both a nod to the original and a launch point for new storytelling.
For now, fans and industry observers will be watching whether the partners involved seek an alternative home for the project or rework the creative plan. Gellar’s public message kept the tone personal and appreciative, while leaving room for the possibility that the character and the world may return in some form in the future.
