MOVIE NEWS – After two decades off the air, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is finally making a comeback. According to new reports, Sarah Michelle Gellar has officially signed on to reprise her role as Buffy Summers in an upcoming Buffy the Vampire Slayer revival. While it has been described as a reboot, the Hulu pilot will actually serve as a continuation of the original series, which aired from 1997 to 2003. Gellar will also take on an executive producer role for the project.
According to Deadline, Academy Award-winning director Chloé Zhao has been tapped to direct the pilot episode. Zhao, best known for directing Marvel’s Eternals, currently has a first-look deal with Searchlight TV and 20th Television, the studios behind the Buffy revival. As a self-proclaimed Buffy fan, Zhao’s involvement adds an extra layer of excitement to the project. The pilot’s script was written by Nora and Lilla Zuckerman, the creative minds behind Poker Face. Zhao, along with the Zuckerman sisters, joins Gellar as an executive producer, alongside original series producers Gail Berman, Fran Kuzui, and Kaz Kuzui. Additionally, music icon Dolly Parton, whose company Sandollar was a producer on the original show, will also serve as an executive producer.
It remains unclear whether any original cast members from Buffy the Vampire Slayer will return, though the possibility remains open. Notably, Joss Whedon, the show’s original creator, is not involved in any capacity. Whedon has not worked on a major project since 2021, following allegations of inappropriate behavior on the sets of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Justice League. While only a pilot is confirmed at this stage, the combination of Buffy’s return with its original star and an Oscar-winning filmmaker is sure to excite longtime fans.
Buffy Summers Makes Her Long-Awaited Return
The announcement of Buffy’s return comes as a surprise to many. Over the years, rumors about a possible continuation or reboot have circulated, but a direct sequel seemed unlikely due to the strained relationship between Sarah Michelle Gellar and Joss Whedon. In 2017, Whedon was initially attached to a reboot, with Monica Owusu-Breen as showrunner. This iteration planned to introduce an African-American Slayer as the lead. However, after multiple allegations against Whedon surfaced, the project was quietly shelved, with producer Gail Berman confirming in 2022 that the series was on indefinite hold.
Now, in an era where nostalgic reboots thrive, Buffy the Vampire Slayer seems poised for a triumphant return. A legacy sequel, where Gellar’s Buffy Summers steps into a mentor role for a new Slayer, appears to be a fitting continuation of the franchise. A major question remains: will the series incorporate storylines from the Buffy comic books, which continued the show’s narrative in an official capacity, or will it discard them, similar to how Star Wars de-canonized the Expanded Universe? Additionally, how (if at all) the Angel spin-off factors into this new iteration remains to be seen. One thing is certain—seeing Sarah Michelle Gellar wielding a stake once more is bound to send waves of excitement through the fanbase.
Source: Deadline
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