The Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot is not moving forward at Hulu.
Sarah Michelle Gellar confirmed the news in an Instagram video, telling fans she was “really sad” to share that Hulu has decided not to proceed with Buffy: New Sunnydale.
The series had been described as “the next chapter in the Buffyverse,” with Gellar returning as Buffy Summers in a recurring role while Star Wars: Skeleton Crew star Ryan Kiera Armstrong was set to lead the show as a new Slayer.
Sarah Michelle Gellar Confirms Buffy Reboot Is Dead
In her video, Gellar thanked director Chloé Zhao for helping bring her back to the role after years of resisting a return to Buffy.
“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. “This doesn’t change any of that, and I promise if the apocalypse actually comes… you can still beep me.”
Zhao, who directed Marvel’s Eternals and the Oscar-winning Nomadland, was attached to direct the pilot. Nora and Lilla Zuckerman wrote the project, which had received a pilot order at Hulu.
Original series creator Joss Whedon was not attached to the reboot.
Ryan Kiera Armstrong Responds
Ryan Kiera Armstrong also responded to the cancellation on Instagram after being cast as the new Slayer at the center of the series.
Armstrong thanked fans for their support and shared her disappointment that viewers will not get to see what the team made with the pilot. The actress had been set to play the next young Slayer, with Gellar’s Buffy expected to appear alongside her as part of the new story.
The project would have introduced a new generation of characters while continuing the mythology of the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which ran from 1997 to 2003.
Hulu Passes On Buffy: New Sunnydale
The reboot was expected to focus on a new younger Slayer, with Gellar recurring rather than leading the series full-time. The pilot was titled Buffy: New Sunnydale, but Hulu has now decided not to move forward.
Deadline reported sources described the pilot as “not perfect,” with some suggesting Zhao’s sensibility may not have been the right match for the reboot.
The trade also reported there had been talk of reworking the pilot as recently as earlier in the week, but Hulu ultimately opted not to proceed.
While this version is dead, Deadline added that Hulu remains high on the Buffy IP and plans to regroup while considering a possible new incarnation of the franchise.
Buffy May Still Return Someday
The cancellation is still a big blow for fans, especially since Gellar had finally agreed to revisit the role after years of distance from the franchise.
For now, Buffy: New Sunnydale is dead at Hulu. But with Disney still interested in the franchise, the Slayer may not be gone for good.
