Sarah Michelle Gellar is now responding to the Buffy reboot leak controversy, pushing back on the script pages making the rounds online and saying fans are not seeing the real version of what Hulu was developing.
Speaking on SiriusXM’s Page Six Radio while promoting Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, Gellar said she hopes the scrapped Buffy pilot does not leak in full because people will judge something that was never finished. She also said the script version circulating online is “not actually correct.”
Gellar says fans are not seeing the real vision
Gellar said the leaked material should not be treated as a finished representation of the reboot, stressing that pilots are meant to evolve and change before a series moves forward (via THR):
“I actually hope it doesn’t because then everyone’s going to have an opinion on this and that, and pilots are not finished. It wasn’t done, right? It’s not like we did a season and finished it and then they shelved it. It’s not like when they made the Batgirl movie and didn’t [release] it. That movie was finished. You make a pilot — and I want to clarify this — we made a pilot [first instead of a full season] on purpose because there’s some new characters and you want to see how it goes. There are things you learn from it, and there are things you fix. Usually, [the first version of a] pilot doesn’t air … it’s a learning tool. The original Buffy pilot [had] nothing to do with the show. It was a different Willow. It was a very different show. But those are learning tools and that’s what a pilot is.”
Gellar’s point is that the Buffy reboot was still in that early shaping stage, and she does not want fans judging the project based on unfinished material or leaked pages that she says do not reflect the real vision.
“I’ve seen a version of the script out there. It’s not actually correct. That stuff is really unfortunate and I ask fans if you see scripts — if you see it leaked — don’t watch it because you’re not getting our vision and all of that.”
Gellar says Buffy deserves respect
Gellar also explained why she has been speaking out since the cancellation, saying Buffy “deserves respect,” and that when she does not see the property being treated with that respect, she feels she has to stand up for it.
She ended by encouraging fans to stream Buffy and go see her new movie.
“There’s two things you can do if you want to make this right. You can go stream Buffy [and] go see my movie. That’s all we can do right now.”
Hulu still canceled it
Even with Gellar defending the pilot process, Hulu still chose not to move forward with Buffy: New Sunnydale.
Gellar previously confirmed the project had been canceled, and recent reporting said the reboot had gone through revisions before Disney ultimately passed.
So while Gellar wants fans to know the leaked script does not tell the full story, the bigger problem remains the same: Hulu saw enough issues with the project to shut it down.
Disney responds
Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson released a statement on Wednesday: “We have had a long and very successful relationship with Chloé, Sarah and Gail — their track records speak for themselves and they are incredible partners. Our decision not to move forward with a series order is not a reflection of our respect and admiration for the creative team, including Lilla and Nora.”
The leak debate is not going away
Gellar’s comments are unlikely to stop the backlash. If anything, they add another layer to it. Fans now have leaked pages, trade reporting about rewrites, and Gellar herself saying the version online is not correct and does not reflect the intended vision.
That means the Buffy reboot story is no longer just about a canceled pilot. It is also about a growing fight over what the show really was, what it became behind the scenes, and whether it ever had a real shot of working in the first place.
