MOVIE NEWS – The return of Buffy Summers might be closer than we think. Sarah Michelle Gellar has officially signed on for the upcoming, as-yet-untitled Buffy the Vampire Slayer revival, which is reportedly on the verge of receiving a pilot order from Hulu. Not only will Gellar reprise her legendary role, but she will also serve as an executive producer. In a recent interview, she shared new details that are sure to excite longtime fans of the iconic show.

Although Gellar will not be the lead of the new series—since the story is set to follow a new Slayer—there is still no word on whether any other members of the original cast will return. Tragically, one confirmed absence is Michelle Trachtenberg, who played Buffy’s younger sister Dawn and passed away last month. In an interview with PEOPLE, Gellar provided an update on the project while urging fans to remain patient:

“We’ve set up our offices, which means things are progressing probably faster than I’d anticipated. But it’s going to be a process, I think. To do it the way it needs to be done, everyone has to be patient with all of us, because this isn’t something that [will just happen].”

An All-Star Creative Team

For this highly anticipated revival, Gellar is collaborating with an all-female creative team, including Nora and Lilla Zuckerman (Poker Face), Academy Award-winning filmmaker Chloé Zhao, and veteran producer Gail Berman. The pilot episode has been penned by the Zuckerman sisters and will be directed by Zhao, who made history as the first woman of color to win an Oscar for Best Director with Nomadland in 2021. Berman, who was already a producer on the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer, returns to executive produce.

Gellar has expressed her excitement about working with such an accomplished group of women:

“I pinch myself every day when I get into these rooms, and I’m looking at Gail Berman, the Zuckermans and Chloé Zhao. It’s an incredible group.”

She went on to add:

“There was no world where I thought Chloé Zhao was going to call me and partner with me, and ask my advice on things and my opinion—especially because she hasn’t done television. She’ll call me, and she’ll say, ‘Well, I have to defer to you,’ and I’m like, ‘Wait, what?’ Those aren’t words I ever thought I would hear.”

‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Remains an Enduring Cultural Icon

Even more than two decades after its finale, Buffy the Vampire Slayer continues to be a beloved classic. For Gellar, the role marked a defining moment in her career. While she had already gained recognition for her work on All My Children, it was her portrayal of Buffy—a strong, independent female lead in a genre often dominated by male heroes—that made her a pop culture icon. Reflecting on her legacy, Gellar stated that making a show “that stands the test of time” is “the greatest gift an actor could ever ask for.”

The supernatural drama originally aired for seven seasons from 1997 to 2003 and spawned the spin-off Angel, which followed David Boreanaz’s titular vampire as he set up a supernatural detective agency in Los Angeles. The spin-off ran for five seasons between 1999 and 2004. Now, the new Buffy revival is set to begin filming soon. It will be executive produced by Gellar, Zhao (under her Book of Shadows banner), the Zuckerman sisters, Berman, as well as original series producers Fran Kuzui and Kaz Kuzui from Suite B. A surprising addition to the executive producer list? Dolly Parton, whose production company, Sandollar Entertainment, helped bring the original show to life.

The original Buffy the Vampire Slayer series, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Alyson Hannigan, Anthony Head, David Boreanaz, Nicholas Brendon, James Marsters, Eliza Dushku, Seth Green, and Michelle Trachtenberg, is currently available for streaming on Hulu.

Source: PEOPLE