Buffy reboot canceled: Sarah Michelle Gellar responds with a statement
Director Chloé Zhao also comments on the cancelled TV reboot New Sunnydale
The planned reboot of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" has been put on hold. This was announced by lead actress Sarah Michelle Gellar on her Instagram account. The new edition of the horror series had been in the making for the streaming service Hulu since February 2025. Sisters Lilla and Nora Zuckerman have been hired as writers for the planned pilot entitled "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale". Oscar-winning "Nomadland" director Chloé Zhao was to be responsible for directing it.
The plot should have centered on Nova, played by Ryan Kiera Armstrong, a budding vampire slayer who is trained by the titular heroine Buffy Summers. As in the original series, Sarah Michelle Gellar was intended for the role of Buffy. The actress expressed her disappointment in a statement on Instagram:
"So 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.' 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. And this doesn't change any of that, and I promise if the apocalypse actually comes, you can still beep me."
Director Chloé Zhao also speaks out
The filmmaker mentioned by Gellar, Chloé Zhao, is currently being celebrated for her film "Hamnet". Her drama about William Shakespeare's marriage was nominated for an Oscar for Best Director, among other awards. However, as Deadline reports, there has been speculation for weeks about the continuation of the planned "Buffy" reboot. Unspecified sources had described the pilot as "not perfect" and suggested that Chloé Zhao might not be the right candidate for the reboot. Although Hulu has now pulled the plug, it is not impossible that the streaming service will revive the "Buffy" franchise in another way at some point.
In the meantime, Chloé Zhao has also commented on the end of "Buffy: New Sunnydale". On the red carpet at this year's Oscars, she emphasized that she was "not surprised" by Hulu's decision, as Variety reports. She also stated:
"Our priority for Sarah and for us has always been to be truthful to the show, to be truthful to our fans. So, things happen for a reason, and we keep our hearts open and we welcome the mystery. And what this might lead us to."
Buffy: First the movie, then the series
The original series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is based on the 1992 film of the same name written by Joss Whedon. Back then, Kristy Swanson played the role of the chosen vampire slayer Buffy Summers. In the 1997 series remake, Sarah Michelle Gellar took on the title role.
The TV series ran for seven seasons and became a worldwide hit with audiences and critics. With "Angel" , a spin-off about the eponymous vampire, who had previously fought evil alongside Buffy, also ran from 1999 to 2004. Over the following years, new "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" spin-offs were repeatedly discussed. However, there were only further sequels to the popular horror series in the form of comics.