We have been in need of some good news, and Sarah Michelle Gellar just delivered the most unexpected but necessary batch of good news ever. As reported by Deadline, there's a new Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot in the works at Hulu. Yes, you read that correctly. A Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot. In the works. In the year 2025. Buffy is back, baby! Well, maybe.
Hulu has yet to officially order a pilot, but the development process has taken great shape as of the announcement to the press. Gellar will reprise her iconic role as Buffy Summers, which she played for all seven seasons of The WB/UPN original classic. The Hollywood Reporter notes that Gellar will likely recur as Buffy as she takes a young new slayer under her wing.
Nora Zuckerman and Lilla Zuckerman, co-showrunners of Peacock's Poker Face season 1, wrote the pilot script, and the would-be pilot already has Oscar-winning Nomadland director Chloé Zhao. Gellar would also be on board as an executive producer along with original Buffy producers Gail Berman, Fran and Kaz Kuzui, and Dolly Parton (yes, the Dolly Parton).
Thankfully, Buffy the Vampire Slayer's proposed reboot series at Hulu wouldn't have any involvement from Joss Whedon the original show's original creator and showrunner. He was accused by multiple previous coworkers of creating a toxic workplace environment on projects such as Justice League, Buffy and its spinoff Angel, and Firefly. The reboot should be about the Buffy legacy being reclaimed.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot in the works at Hulu
Since the potential reboot is still relatively in its early days, though a lot of the key pieces seem to be in place, there aren't any reports of other original Buffy cast members returning to reprise their roles. When reboots are early in development, such as the One Tree Hill reboot in the works at Netflix, it's normal for additional cast members to not have signed on yet. A lot of ducks need to be in a row first.
That being said, should the series land a pilot order, and then a series order, as a Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan, I would love to specifically see Alyson Hannigan back as Buffy's best friend Willow and Charisma Carpenter back as Cordelia Chase. But the list doesn't end there! There are so many characters who would be exciting to catch up with in this new era
And it's definitely a new era! The series finale paved the way for multiple slayers to join Buffy in the fight against evil. Who knows what the state of Sunnydale is now? Clearly, Buffy's still somehow involved, but that wasn't always going to be the case. Gellar previously shut down bringing the show back, but a telling appearance last year on The Drew Barrymore Show revealed a change of heart.
Gellar, who currently appears in Dexter prequel series Dexter: Original Sin and previously appeared in Teen Wolf reboot series Wolf Pack, admitted that she was inspired by the likes of And Just Like That and Dexter: Original Sin to rethink how she viewed returning to her most famous role. "It makes you realize that in this world, we need those heroes, I think, more so than ever," she said.
One day before the news broke about the reboot, Gellar seemed to subtly give fans a hint on Instagram. The actress shared a selfie wearing Buffy's iconic sushi pajamas from season 4. She captioned the photo with only a sushi emoji and no hints or references to Buffy. But looking back, that grin tells all! Who would have known what she had up her sushi pajama sleeves?!
What do we think about the possible comeback, Buffy fans? Personally, I think this is the most solid iteration we have seen arise yet. There had been chatter about a reboot in the recent past, though nothing ever came together. Hulu's stab at the series has a great director and writers attached, and Gellar's seal of approval is crucial. We shouldn't get too excited yet, but it's super hard not to! For now, let's let the millionth rewatch of the original commence and manifest more good news.
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