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Film Still from 1997 episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Alamy Stock Photo
Back from the Dead
A resurrected Buffy the Vampire Slayer is in the works (and Sarah Michelle Gellar is on board)
Sarah Michelle Gellar had been opposed to reviving the series as recently as 2023 but expressed an openness to the idea in December.
MORE THAN 20 years after it left our screens, a reboot of the popular Buffy the Vampire Slayer could be on the cards.
The show, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy, premiered in 1997 and ran for seven seasons before concluding in 2003.
However, a reboot starring Gellar is reported to be on the cards, with streaming service Hulu said to be close to signing a pilot order for the series, according to US outlets such as Deadline and Variety.
The signing of a pilot order generally means that the platform or streaming service is confident the series will receive a greenlight to produce a full season.
As recently as 2023, Gellar had been opposed to a reboot, telling SFX Magazine that a revival of Buffy the Vampire Slayer “doesn’t need to be done”.
“We wrapped that up,” said Gellar when asked about the potential for a reboot.
“It’s set up perfectly for someone else to have the power,” she added, in a reference to how Buffy was the latest in a succession of young Vampire Slayers.
“But like I said, the metaphors of Buffy were the horrors of adolescence. I think I look young, but I am not an adolescent.”
However, in December, Gellar expressed an openness to the idea and told The Drew Barrymore Show: “I always used to say no, because it’s in its bubble and it’s so perfect.
“But watching Sex and the City and seeing Dexter, and realising there are ways to do it, definitely does get your mind thinking, ‘Well, maybe.’”
@thedrewbarrymoreshow Will we get a #Buffy reboot?! 👀 See Sarah Michelle Gellar and Christian Slater and Christian Slater in “Dexter: Original Sin” on @Paramount+! #sarahmichellegellar #christianslater #dexteroriginalsin #drewbarrymore ♬ original sound - thedrewbarrymoreshow
It’s been reported that the reboot will focus on a new vampire slayer and that Gellar would appear in a recurring role, rather than leading the series.
Oscar-winning director, and self-professed fan, Chloé Zhao is said to be on board to direct the pilot episode.
While it is not known if the other original cast members will reprise their role, it is considered likely.
Meanwhile, it’s understood that Dolly Parton will executive produce the pilot via her production company Sandollar, which was the producer on the original series.
Parton said last year that she was “very involved” in the original series and told Business Insider that “they’re thinking about bringing it (Buffy) back and revamping it”.
Elsewhere, the creator of the show, Joss Wheadon, will have no involvement in the reboot after being accused in recent years of having created a toxic work environment on the original series.
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