Hold onto your stakes, Buffy fans! Over two decades after the iconic
Buffy the Vampire Slayer concluded its seven-season run, a revival is on the horizon, and it’s bringing some serious firepower. A new chapter in the Buffyverse is nearing a pilot order from Hulu, with none other than Sarah Michelle Gellar expected to reprise her legendary role as Buffy Summers. And that’s not all – Oscar winner Chloé Zhao, a self-confessed lifelong Buffy enthusiast, is attached to direct the pilot, penned by Nora and Lilla Zuckerman (Poker Face).
This exciting reboot hails from Buffy the Vampire Slayer studio 20th Television and Disney sibling Searchlight TV, where Zhao has a first-look deal. Beyond the pilot order, whispers suggest a writers’ room is already forming, signaling Hulu and the studios’ high hopes for the project. While it remains unclear whether other original cast members will return, the possibility is definitely in the air.
Described as the “next chapter” in the Buffyverse, the new series boasts an impressive roster of executive producers: Gellar herself, Zhao via her Book of Shadows banner, Nora and Lilla Zuckerman, and original series executive producers Gail Berman of the Jackal Group, Fran Kuzui & Kaz Kuzui via Suite B, and even Dolly Parton, whose company Sandollar produced the original series.
Notably, Buffy creator Joss Whedon, who also wrote the 1992 movie that inspired the series, is not involved in the reboot. He has remained largely out of the public eye since facing misconduct allegations in 2021.
If Hulu greenlights the pilot, this will be the third series in the franchise, following the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which aired on the WB for five seasons and then UPN for two) and the spin-off Angel (which ran on the WB for five seasons).
This isn’t the first attempt at a Buffy revival. A previous effort in 2018, spearheaded by Berman, Fran Kazui, and Kaz Kazui, with a script by Midnight, Texas creator Monica Owusu-Breen (and Whedon as an executive producer), didn’t make it past the development stage. However, fan enthusiasm for a revival has remained strong, fueled by cast reunions and hints from those involved.
Parton even hinted at the project’s existence a year ago, stating in an interview, “They’re still working on that. They’re thinking about bringing it back and revamping it.”
Gellar, who previously expressed resistance to revisiting Buffy, softened her stance in a December interview, citing shows like Sex and the City and Dexter as examples of successful revivals. She even suggested that a new Buffy series could explore any facet of the Buffyverse, emphasizing the need for heroes in the current climate. Sources indicate that negotiations with Gellar for this reboot began around the time of these comments and are now in their final stages.
This reboot marks the second high-profile series revival Berman is executive producing for 20th Television, alongside Malcolm In The Middle for Disney+. 20th TV also has a Scrubs reboot in development at ABC. The Zuckerman sisters, fresh off the success of Poker Face, bring their considerable talent to the project. And Zhao, hot off her Oscar wins for Nomadland, adds even more prestige to this highly anticipated revival.
Could this be the dawn of a new era for the Slayer? Stay tuned for updates!
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