Hulu has suddenly backed out of the proposed Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot, starring and executive produced by Sarah Michelle Gellar. She broke the news to fans on Instagram 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 (The Eternals, Hamnet, ), a self-professed lifelong Buffy fan, directing from a script written by Nora and Lilla Zuckerman (Poker Face).
Speculation about the pilot has been running hot. Sources described it as “not perfect,” noting the Zhao’s sensibility may not have been the perfect match for the reboot, especially in light of the performance of her previous genre project, Marvel’s Eternals, which did poorly both in terms of box office and critics . This stands in contrast to the critical acclaim Zhao is receiving for her latest movie, Hamnet, which has eight Oscar nominations.
Gellar was apparently notified Friday night of the decision while in Austin, TX for the SXSW premiere of Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. She did press for her new movie at the festival, taking the time to share her excitement about the Buffy reboot, speaking of Zhao’s “passion, and her reasoning for wanting to do it, and why now, and why it is necessary” that convinced her to finally agree to revisit her signature character. The news must have come shortly after that commentary.
In her IG video, the actress said that she was “really sad” about the news of the project’s demise.
“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.”
Ryan Kiera Armstrong landed the lead opposite Gellar in the Buffy pilot, playing the new slayer in the untitled Buffyverse project, with Gellar reprising her signature role as Buffy Summers. The series regular cast also included Faly Rakotohavana, Ava Jean, Sarah Bock, Daniel Di Tomasso and Jack Cutmore-Scott, with Chase Sui Wonders as a guest star. The reboot was produced by 20th Television and Searchlight TV.
SCIFI.radio is listener supported sci-fi geek culture radio, and operates almost exclusively via the generous contributions of our fans via our Patreon campaign. If you like, you can also use our tip jar and send us a little something to help support the many fine creatives that make this station possible.
